Barefoot Gen

While watching the film Barefoot Gen in class, was like being on an emotional rollercoaster. I went through so many emotions, like joy, anger, and most the time sadness. I would not think this film would make me feel all of those emotions, for that anime style movies never really touch my heart like that. Yes, going in to this film I was not excited. One being that it was in the style of anime, not my cup of tea. Secondly, it contained subtitles during it, making it hard for me to follow along while also trying to read all the words being presented on the screen. 

The subject of the movie shocked me also, taking the view of a suffering family during the war and bombing at Hiroshima is different. Sure I have seen many movies based off that time and era, but never the way Mori Masaki did it. Since being born and raised in America, I was going in being on the American side, but I saw myself crossing over the the other side. I felt bad that innocent people were attacked and lost loved ones during that time. Even in the movie the father never wanted the war and thought it was stupid that the people started it. I really enjoyed how Masaki made me change sides during the movie and made me understand how even citizens of Hiroshima felt about the war. 

Now lets get to the art, since I am an art student. No again as I stated before anime style is not my cup of tea, though I liked how it was handled in this situation. How the characters a bubbly and playful, so when their upset you become upset. I think the film had a simplify style during the film, but had enough detail to understand what the object, place, and person Masaki was trying to represent. Now it does get graphic when the bomb hits and the after effect. How the boys slowly burn, fall apart, melt, and basically rot. How children in the river die because they can't swim. Walking burn victims down the streets. Also how the artist shows breasts a lot during the film, I know that really it is not a really big deal, but growing up in a Catholic home it is for me.

Overall, I would recommend this film.