A powerful statement against war, Barefoot Gen is a disturbing story about the effect of the atomic bomb on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
Writer/director Trey Edward Shults talks about taking audiences on an emotional roller coaster in Waves.
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Title: Barefoot Gen (1983)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
 |
Issei Miyazaki | ... | Gen (voice) |
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Catherine Battistone | ... | Gen (1995) (voice) |
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Yoshie Shimamura | ... | Kimie (voice) |
| Iona Morris | ... | Kimie (1995) (voice) | |
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Masaki Kôda | ... | Shinji / Ryuta (voice) |
| Brianne Brozey | ... | Shinji (1995) (voice) (as Brianne Siddal) | |
| Barbara Goodson | ... | Ryuta (1995) (voice) | |
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Takao Inoue | ... | Daikichi (voice) |
| Kirk Thornton | ... | Daikichi (1995) (voice) (as Kurk Thornton) | |
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Seiko Nakano | ... | Eiko (voice) |
| Wendee Lee | ... | Eiko (1995) (voice) | |
| Takeshi Aono | ... | Eizo (voice) | |
| Michael McConnohie | ... | Eizo / Bully / Doctor / Easerly / Milk / Soup / Yama (1995) (voice) (as Amike McConnohie) | |
| Katsuji Mori | ... | Seiji (voice) | |
| Dan Woren | ... | Seijo / Banzai / Bullied / Enola (1995) (voice) | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Gen and his family are living in Hiroshima as Japan nears the end of World War II. Gen's father has come to believe that the war is unwinnable, thus earning the wrath of the town officials and, in turn, discrimination from the rest of their neighbors. Shunned by the local merchants and tradesmen, food becomes scarce for Gen and his family. All these concerns soon pale, however, as the American military begins its final assault on Japan with the unleashing of its terrible new weapon. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>
Taglines:
The Bombing Of Hiroshima As Seen Through The Eyes Of A Boy.Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
JapanRelease Date:
13 June 1992 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
はだしのゲン See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?
Goofs
When Gen and Shinji take a big bite from a sweet potato from each end, they are then told by Eiko to give the sweet potato to their mother. Once the sweet potato is given to her, it is whole again. See more »Quotes
Narration: The black rain began falling on the northwest section of the city. The impact of the bomb's blast had sent dust, debris, and radiation high into the atmosphere, where it gathered in a gigantic, lethal cloud, before returning to the earth in a radioactive rain. The bomb that had fallen on the city detonated with a destructive force of 20,000 tons of TNT, and generated temperatures an excess of 4,000 degrees. Some 60% of the city had vanished, but the damage did not end there. The people of ...See more »
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Barefoot Gen, the animated version of the autobiographical manga by Keiji Nakazawa, is an unflinching first-hand look at the result of dropping an atomic bomb on a civilian target. Comparisons to Grave of the Fireflies will abound, but for me personally Barefoot Gen was the more moving of the two. Though it centers on the effects of the atom bomb, the fact is this could be about any war, and any people. It is a story for all of humanity.
Barefoot Gen is filled with its fair share of caricatured mannerisms, but calling it a dramedy is pushing it. There isn't much to laugh at and even when the characters act a little over-the-top, the overall effect hits its mark (strongly). What makes the story even more powerful is knowing it comes from a survivor of the attack, and the honesty with which the film doles out darker and darker shades of life in the aftermath of the bombing (including subtle things one might not think about).
I think this along with Grave of the Fireflies belongs in every collection, even if you will only watch it once or twice, if only to show it to future generations. Its one thing to see a big explosion relating to the a-bomb in almost every other anime, but its another thing entirely to see the reality of it, and its aftermath.
At the risk of sounding incredibly pretentious, it made me want to burn flags. Not just from one country, but from all countries... to put it another way, I wish we could be united by our common humanity.