In the view of cinema studies...

I thought about this movie in the view of cinema studies.

Without the last scene, this film seems just one of the human drama which contains laughing and sadness. We can realize the meaning of the title ‘Ashita’ after seeing the last scene.

The word ‘ Should human be erased like a fog the same as my father and mother ?’of the first part in this film is so important. This word connects with the last bombed scene, and it makes this story more grief.

Describing many kinds of people who are no related each other, this film try to tell that the atomic bomb can erase many kinds of people’s life easily.

All American movies have the happy-end, some Japanese movies have the sad last scene. This film especially has the shocking last scene in the Japanese films, I think.

Review 1 (Yuki)

Cinema studies and cultural studies (factors contributed the film)

Throughout this movie, music made the scenes very peaceful. The music was slow and very kind. If there is no line in the beginning of the movie, "should humans be erased like fog just the same as my mother and father?", audience wouldn't think the movie would end in such tragedy.

Most of the factors in this movie are dramatic truth. The vertile truth we can find is time records and image of A-bomb. Some of the images of buildings in Nagasaki is based on facts but since it was destroyed by the bomb, producers must have made imitation of the building. Also, the "red paper" to inform draft was actually used. On the internet, I have read that the line "Should human be erased like a fog just the same as my mother and father" came from actual survivor of the bomb, but there is no detail like who said it and so on.

The time records is vertile truth. I am not sure if this image is real A-bomb dropped in Nagasaki. I could not find out.


The image of Urakami Tensyu Do (Urakami Cathedral), located 500m (1640ft.) northeast from center of the explosion. Urakami is the name of the place. It can also be translated as St. Mary's Cathedral, and it was known as the biggest cathedral in East of that time, until it was destroyed by A-Bomb. No one in the cathedral survived. Its wreckage and melted statue of Mary are one of the most famous thing to see in Nagasaki Peace Museum.
Cathedral was rebuilt in 1959, but its appearance is different from original. Since there wasn't and technology of color animation, this image must be the imitation of original cathedral.

This is the real record of Urakami Cathedral after it was destroyed by Atomic Bomb.
Photo by AIHARA Hidetsugu, in his photographic collection "Genbaku wo Mitsumeru" (Looking at Atomic Bomb).
Taken in Jan. 7th, 1946.

See: World War II Database

Around the time this movie was made (1988), Japan was in the middle of Bubble economy. In one of Kuroki's interviews, he said that producers could gather big amount of money for the production. In addition, Toho (the industry) is one of the biggest film industry in Japan. It convinces why he could choose those famous actors (most of the actors in the movie were very famous and popular in Japan.)

In Kuroki's interviews, he said his experience of living in colony and losing his friends in aerial bombing, had alwasy been the biggest memory in his life. I think this experiences in his childhood contributed his will to make films about A-Bomb. When making the film one before "Tomorrow - Ashita", he had an opportunity to talk with hibakusya (the survivor of the bomb) from Nagasaki, and it gave him shock. He knew of Inoue, the writer, and approched that he wanted to make a movie on Inoue's book, "Ashita". In his later years, He made three films on A-bomb and in all of the three, main characters are ordinary citizens. I think he wanted to pay attention to individuals who experienced war, perhaps this is why his movies are called Trilogy of Requiem, for those who died in the war.

Some of the critics say that his earlier works are experimental. As he became old he started to talk about his childhood experience. Critics say that these films on war were what he really wanted to do for his life.

Interview with friends

I interviewed my friend, Yoshiaki.

His opinion is “I think the word‘ Should human be erased like a fog the same as my father and mother ?’of the first part in this film is so sad and meaningful. I think that this word suggests that the fear of atomic bomb and try to connect with the last sad scene. I reconfirmed the fear of atomic bomb to see this film.

This film has no dreadful scenes, for example people were slaughtered by the bomb and bleeding. This firm basically describes the daily life of the people in Nagasaki. And try to tell the fear of atomic bomb indirectly. The last scene was flashed of the atomic bomb only, and sound. It emphasizes the fear of atomic bomb, suggests that the atomic bomb has the power to erase the daily life in a spirit second. To see the last scene, we will understand the title‘Ashita’. This film tells us indirectly but the message is very strong. Describing the people try to live with hopes in spite of they are poor, the last scene emphasizes the sadness. ”

And this is my opinion after seeing this movie.

I think this story is unique.

There are many kinds of people in this movie, a couple of man and woman who held the wedding, and parturient pregnant woman, and the lovers who must say good-bye because of the invitation from an army. But each of them has no relations. To describe the many kind of people’s life, this film try to suggest that the atomic bomb can erase many people’s life easily, I think. I was absorbed in this story, I could hardly expect the last scene. I thought this movie is merely the human drama which has laughing and sometimes sad. But I saw the last scene, I felt unbelievable feeling suddenly. I was born in Japan, a country which has been atom-bombed, so I have learned the atomic bomb before. But I reconfirmed the fear of atomic bomb to see this film.

Interview with friends

I watched the movie together with my Japanese friend Natsuko. She is from Kokura, Fukuoka.

After watching the movie, first thing she thought is "This movie is very Japanese."

In Japanese culture, being too direct is seen as not-thoughtful and too pushy. This film never really have direct theme or message, we just keep on watching people's life for an hour, and suddenly the bomb exploded.

Also, this movie ends very hopeless. Audience watch character's personal life for more than an hour, but it makes it meaningless because bomb exploded. In the end of this movie, no good would come out. She said this kind of film cannot be found in Hollywood.

She said the message she get from the movie was that Atomic bomb destroys everything and no good would come out. Those who died in A-bomb are not special, they are just ordinary people with ordinary lifetime events, only difference is that they lived in war time period. The place she grew up, Kokura (in Fukuoka prefecture) was the initial target of A-bomb. A-bomb was supposed to be dropped on Kokura at first, but because of the weather condition on that day, they decided second target, Nagasaki, was better. Thus, she said this movie really made her to think that it could happen to anyone, including her ancestors.

She also mentioned something about Korean soliders in the movie.

In her point of view, the director, Kuroki, put this scene in the movie to be more realistic. These days Japan tends to be seen as victims, because "we are the only country who suffered from A-bomb" is quite often emphasized. However the truth is Japan is not victims, or not only victims. (in her point of view, in war, everyone is victim) She thinks that Kuroki had this thought in his mind, that's why he didn't show only Japanese lives but also Koreans.

She understands Kuroki wanted to put this in film, but she just thinks 100 minitues is too short for that and he needed more time if he wanted to show Korean soliders scene, or he had to cut some of scene with Japanese characters.

Overall, she said that this movie makes us to condemn war for taking innocent people's lives, and we should remember that it can happen to anyone.

Cast Profile - Arthur Kuroda

Arthur Kuroda was Tsuguo in 'Ashita', who was Shoji's friend since primary school.  His friend, David the American, died on the day before the bomb because of sickness.

Arthur Kuroda was born in 1 February 1961 in San Francisco, United States of American.  Because of his birthplace, he holds an American nationality.  He was later graduated from the School of Management in Meiji University.  

 

At the age of 21, Arthur made his debut in TV drama, acting in ‘Meiken Goroo no Bouken Viva! Canada”.  Starting from 1982, Arthur began to perform in various TV dramas.  Many female audiences were attracted by him because of his sweet face and Western aura.  In 1986, Arthur released his first single, Angel Baby.  

Apart from ‘Ashita’, Arthur acted in other movies as well, for example:

• Hachiko Monogatari (Shyoutiku, 1987)
• Rakuyou ( Rou Tomono, 1992)
• Koara Kachou (Kawasaki Minoru, 2005)

Source :

Arthur Kuroda's Offical Site

Arthur Kuroda - Wikipedia