Children in the Wind (1937) User Reviews

A Boy's World

[boblipton · 8/10 · 26 October 2019]

Jun Yokoyama and his brother are two of the leaders of the local gang of boys. However, when their father, Reikichi Kawamura, is accused of embezzlement and arrested, their position changes. Their uncle, Takeshi Sakamoto, takes Jun to his home, but he doesn't play well with the other children, gets into scrapes, and wants to return home.

Hiroshi Shimizu's movie about youngsters dealing with stress is sustained through the naturalistic acting on young Jun. The director had a flair for directing kds, and the two brothers cavorting together, or the scene when Jun, in disgrace, tries to forget himself in his uncle's courtyard, seem to me just like the way children, who live in their own world, behave. In fact, it reminds me of the recent ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón, except that while the newer movie filters itself through the adult artist's sensibilities, Shimizu's movie observes the world and lets the audience enter unreservedly into his viewpoint.

Lighthearted and Unforgettable

[Steven_Harrison · 10/10 · 22 August 2005]

The best way to describe this film would be "bright". The story is simple, two young boys are usurped from being the head of their gang of children by the son of the man who indicts their father on charges of embezzlement (him being fired and arrested for this.) They're sent to live with their uncle (Takeshi Sakamoto, fast becoming my favorite Japanese actor of this decade) and spend their time thinking of ways to escape back home. Father is found innocent, and they live happily ever after. This film is beautiful, the music and the sound of the children playing are both unforgettable. It was no. 4 in the Kinema Jumpo that year, and it was adapted from a Tsubota novel (his 1939 film Four Seasons of Childhood, which contains the same characters, is also based on a Tsubota book.) The cinematography is "gliding" (a term which consistently seems to be used to describe the look and feel of his films) and more reminiscent of Arigato-San than any other film I've seen by him. There are also some strong similarities in plot and character to Ozu's I Was Born But… and according to Keiko McDonald he, "tells of finding himself in tears as he read in the short story (Naoya Shiga's "Manazuru") about the little children shuffling along a road at night". I watched Children in the Wind without subtitles, but more than any other unsubtitled film I've seen, It was extremely easy to follow along with. One of my favorites from this director, and I can't wait to see more of his children's films.

Nice film, but a little bit too slow

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 5/10 · 29 July 2016]

"Children in the Wind" is an interesting, slow, contemplative film that depicts two children's lives. It is nicely done, and with a down to the earth atmosphere, but at the same time, it suffers from just not offering much in the plot department and being a little bit repetitive.

The direction is fine, and the acting acceptable enough, even if it suffers from some stillness. The scenery and camera work is old-style, and brings the world to live, a world in which it is easy to immerse oneself in. On the other hand, the two children's story is not as interesting as it could have been, and it could be seen as a little bit shallow, as some moments are unnecessarily stretched.

It is not a bad film, but suffers from lack of focus.