Passing Fancy
Encyclopedia
is a 1933 silent movie
produced by Shochiku Company, directed by Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu
and starring Takeshi Sakamoto, Nobuko Fushimi, Den Obinata and Chouko Iida.
Ozu regular Chishu Ryu
has a small cameo towards the end of the film as a fellow passenger on board a ship.
co-workers at a brewery, Kihachi (Takeshi Sakamoto) and Jiro (Den Obinata), go and visit a rōkyoku
performance. On leaving the theater, they happen to chance on a girl Harue (Nobuko Fushimi), who is destitute with no place to go. Jiro is relunctant to help her out but Kihachi takes a fancy on the pretty girl and decides to give her a place to stay at the house of a restaurant owner friend of his, Otome (Chouko Iida). She helps out at the place and Otome soon takes a liking for her.
Kihachi, an illiterate widower, becomes enamored of the girl and begins grooming himself so that she will take notice of him. Jiro, who is younger and in his thirties, thinks of Harue as nothing but trouble and treats her rudely. Kihachi has a young son Tomio (Tokkan Kozo) who is a fine student at an elementary school
. Harue confides in Kihachi that she thinks him nothing more than a kind uncle. Meanwhile Otome goes to Kihachi and asks him to talk Jiro into marrying Harue. Kihachi is upset that no one thinks Harue a suitable match for himself, but he speaks to Jiro nonetheless, but Jiro gruffly rejects Kihachi.
Kihachi gives Tomio 50 sen
to treat himself, and he ends up stuffing himself with so much sweets that he becomes sick with acute enteritis
. Kihachi and Otome fear for his life while his teacher and a fellow classmate visit him to urge him to get well.
Kihachi cannot afford the doctor's bill. Harue offers to raise the money but is stopped privately by Jiro, who instead goes to his barber friend for a loan. To repay the loan, Jiro decides to go to Hokkaido
to work as a laborer. He promises Harue to return. Just at this point, Kihachi appears and to stop Jiro from going, knocks him out unconscious so that he will miss his ship travelling later that day. Kihachi decides to work in Hokkaido instead, despite the dissuasions of Otome and the barber. He leaves Tomio in their care and goes.
Shortly after they set sail, Kihachi begins talking to his fellow passengers about his son and, overcome with homesickness and a pining for Tomio, throws himself into the sea and swims back.
, as part of a three-film collection under the Eclipse Series.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
produced by Shochiku Company, directed by Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
and starring Takeshi Sakamoto, Nobuko Fushimi, Den Obinata and Chouko Iida.
Ozu regular Chishu Ryu
Chishu Ryu
was a famous Japanese film actor, a favourite of the director Yasujiro Ozu. From 1928 to 1992 he appeared in at least 155 films, including Ozu's Tokyo Story and Yoshitaro Nomura's Castle of Sand...
has a small cameo towards the end of the film as a fellow passenger on board a ship.
Plot
Two TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
co-workers at a brewery, Kihachi (Takeshi Sakamoto) and Jiro (Den Obinata), go and visit a rōkyoku
Rokyoku
Rōkyoku is a genre of traditional Japanese narrative singing. Generally accompanied by a shamisen, rōkyoku became very popular in Japan during the first half of the 20th century.-Notable performers:...
performance. On leaving the theater, they happen to chance on a girl Harue (Nobuko Fushimi), who is destitute with no place to go. Jiro is relunctant to help her out but Kihachi takes a fancy on the pretty girl and decides to give her a place to stay at the house of a restaurant owner friend of his, Otome (Chouko Iida). She helps out at the place and Otome soon takes a liking for her.
Kihachi, an illiterate widower, becomes enamored of the girl and begins grooming himself so that she will take notice of him. Jiro, who is younger and in his thirties, thinks of Harue as nothing but trouble and treats her rudely. Kihachi has a young son Tomio (Tokkan Kozo) who is a fine student at an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. Harue confides in Kihachi that she thinks him nothing more than a kind uncle. Meanwhile Otome goes to Kihachi and asks him to talk Jiro into marrying Harue. Kihachi is upset that no one thinks Harue a suitable match for himself, but he speaks to Jiro nonetheless, but Jiro gruffly rejects Kihachi.
Kihachi gives Tomio 50 sen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
to treat himself, and he ends up stuffing himself with so much sweets that he becomes sick with acute enteritis
Enteritis
In medicine, enteritis, from Greek words enteron and suffix -itis , refers to inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by the ingestion of substances contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and fever...
. Kihachi and Otome fear for his life while his teacher and a fellow classmate visit him to urge him to get well.
Kihachi cannot afford the doctor's bill. Harue offers to raise the money but is stopped privately by Jiro, who instead goes to his barber friend for a loan. To repay the loan, Jiro decides to go to Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
to work as a laborer. He promises Harue to return. Just at this point, Kihachi appears and to stop Jiro from going, knocks him out unconscious so that he will miss his ship travelling later that day. Kihachi decides to work in Hokkaido instead, despite the dissuasions of Otome and the barber. He leaves Tomio in their care and goes.
Shortly after they set sail, Kihachi begins talking to his fellow passengers about his son and, overcome with homesickness and a pining for Tomio, throws himself into the sea and swims back.
Release
The film was released in Japan in 1933. It was released with a new score by Donald Sosin on DVD in the US in 2008 via The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
, as part of a three-film collection under the Eclipse Series.
Cast
- Kihachi - Takeshi Sakamoto
- Tomio - Tokkan Kozou
- Harue - Nobuko Fushimi
- Jiro - Den Obinata
- Otome - Chouko Iida