Message from eshorer

[Anonymous]

The Family Game. This 1983 film by director Morita Yoshimitsu offers a view into Japanese life that is often put on a pedestal: the idea of putting more time into education and tutoring. The father (Itami Juzo, director of Tampopo, a Taxing Woman, Ososhiki) hires a tutor (Matsuda Yusaku) to help raise the grades of his middle-school aged son. What we end up seeing are a number of things that are perhaps not intended: It is striking to see the tiny apartment in which the family lives. We see that the older brother is allowed to goof off since he is doing OK with his grades. We see what verges on child abuse as the tutor slaps the student when he is not getting down to the business of studying. In many ways this is a film that will teach the viewer much about Japan, and the place of education in that country. We also see how the tutor teaches the boy how to grow up and stand his ground, especially in a scene where he is taught to fight. At times it seems like a black comedy, owing much to "play-like" staging of the actors, the sparse use of sound, and quirky dialogue. All in all, it is a good example of cultural specificity, and could be used to spark discussion about the value of education in Asia and the U.S. The Family Game is a good one.