These are random notes about Ozu’s Passing Fancy. First of all, I googled “Union Beer” and found out that it was a trademark registered by a beer company established in 1887 (20th year of Meiji) by the man named Nezu Kaichiro (根津嘉一郎) who later built the Tôbu Railway (東武鉄道). The trademark was taken over by Asahi (we all know this company for Super Dry!). I wasn’t able to locate the factory we saw in the film, but as we speculated, it was somewhere along the coastal line in modern day Shinagawa, Kôtô, or Shinagawa Wards (品川区、江東区、江戸川区), given that we constantly identify it with smoke stacks.
Also, I wanted to draw your attention to the language people in the film used. It is very deep-down “Edokko (Edoites/江戸っ子)”accent, which would underline the status and socioeconomic background of the people surrounding the main character. The language itself accentuates the uneducated and poor, yet heart-warming characters of the people in “shitamachi” (下町/down-to-earth district). I think that Ozu strategically distinguishes themselves from newly emerging “bourgeois” moving to the areas called “garden cities” along with private railroad lines. During the interwar period, private railroad lines were constructed as package deals with the construction of residential areas—they sought to attract new residents by appleaing that such areas are accessible to the heart of Tokyo. Finally, it would be of historical interest (at least to me!) to see the development of the idea of “saving”—I noticed that the main character, especially after his son got sick, repeated the phrase “宵越しの金はもたねえ (yoigoshi no kane wa motanê/I don’t keep money over night=I’m gonna spend all the money I have over night). This phrase, if I understand it correctly, emerged during the Tokugawa period among day laborers. Since Edo was famous for fires, it is considered that they just spend all they had instead of saving because they did not know if the city would exist till the next day. Then, this phrase somehow turned out to be the one which represented the “spirit” of Edoites.
I just want to add a note about the concept of saving, but I cannot guarantee its accuracy.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese state in 1930s and 1940s promoted the ideal woman. One of her many virtues was that lived a frugal life but saved money in the post(save money in the postal bank?)for the family (and by extension or by donation, for the wartime state).
I did not notice the saving in Passing Fancy until John brought it up. But still I don't know whether my note will assist the understanding of the movie or not.
Sorry I meant Akira, not John...
ReplyDeleteAkira, you are a great loss to film studies...
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese government did promote images of "ideal" women. But, historically speaking (sorry this is the only way I can put things in), we have to be very careful about things before and after 1937 and 1941. These years are crucial in terms of examining the government policies towards society and culture, most notably, "the National Mobilization Law." I am not sure if "frugal life" was much of the focus of the government at this point because it was promoting the migration to Manchuria for "better" opportunities and life. However, chastity or virtuous "Japanese" women constituted an important part of governmental discourse against Western "corruptions."
I guess the point is that people Ozu deployed in the film are those who do not afford to save money or even go to theaters. So, saving as a symbolic act of social status obliquely appears to underscore the poverty of the people Ozu describes--sounding like his indirect social/political criticism.