Barefoot Gen: Coping with Recurring Trauma

An essay on

Hadashi no Gen [Barefoot Gen]

Danielle Delpéche, Swarthmore College, Class of 2015

The film Hadashi no Gen or Barefoot Gen, is an animated film directed by Mori Masaki, based on the manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. It was released in 1983 and the events depicted are loosely based on Nakazawa's personal experience of the Hiroshima bombing. Told from a child's point-of-view, this film gives a harrowing depiction of Japan towards the end of the war, as well as the events immediately following the dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. This work provides us with a graphic look into the lives of families in the wake of the disaster, and how they persevere through each hardship. The motif of family frequently comes up as a source of hope and reason for living, even in the most desperate of times. The concept of family as a source of hope is very much apparent even before the atomic bomb strikes, where we get a glimpse of life in Hiroshima, and Japan as a whole, before and after the end of the war. In tying this work into the greater scheme of "Narratives of Disaster and Rebuilding," I feel that the film holds a very unique place as one of the rare examples of firsthand accounts of the atomic bombing that survived the censorship that came when Japan was under Allied occupation. The very fact that as a Hiroshima survivor, Nakazawa only recently passed away is nothing short of a blessing, and his story is one that is very valuable.

 

The first scene I will analyze is when we find Gen and his family dealing with the death of his infant sister Tomoko (1:14:00 - 1:15:35). Recurring trauma is a concept for victim of disaster that this scene clearly depicts. Gen has already witnessed the death of his three family members, a traumatic event that he came to terms with the birth of his baby sister the very same day (42:10). Tomoko was the embodiment of Gen's promise to his father and his source of hope. Masaki shows repetition of trauma of the atomic bomb during the scene of his sister's cremation. Through the music in the background, which is reminiscent of the music played during the scene of his family members' deaths, along with the close-up of the fire that is burning his sister's body (1:15:04 - 1:15:30), the viewer is reminded of the flames in the aftermath of the bomb (39:17 - 39:25). The scene is in total darkness, which is very reminiscent of the dark sky in the wake of the atomic bomb.

 

The second scene that I want to touch on is one in which Gen, who was most affected by her death, finds a way to recover from his depression (1:16:50 - 1:18:00). The scene depicts Ryuta, Gen's foster brother, showing Gen that there is grass growing on the ground, despite a man telling him earlier that nothing would grow in Hiroshima for 70 years. The scene then cuts to a flashback to one of the earliest scenes in the film, in which Gen's father instructs Gen and his brother Shinji to grow strong like wheat, and weather through any hardships that come their way. We then see that Gen's hair is starting to grow back, which is a sign of good health, and Ryuta reasons that it is Tomoko's spirit that is in his hair, which effectively cheers up Gen. In the background, the music is bright and cheerful, which alludes to Gen's life during wartime Japan; while the living standards seem grim, a strong family presence makes it bearable, even hopeful. This scene proves that the strength of the boys' spirit is the backbone of the work as a whole, and Gen's family presence serves as a strong proponent of that spirit.

 

These two scenes cover two important themes: the first scene uses the motif of losing a family member and the grief that follows to illustrate how important the family presence is to the characters' mental stability. With dark imagery and somber music, Masaki alludes to the graphic scene of the dropping of the bomb, effectively making the audience understand the trauma that the characters are experiencing. This is an important scene coming from an educational standpoint, as the more personal the account, the more relatable the experience. This film has an educational value, in that, while not everyone will relate to being an atomic bomb victim, there are elements of this film, like the loss of a family member, that can effectively teach a lesson on the pain of that time period. Conversely, in the second scene, we are reminded of the hopeful nature of the boys. The image of Gen and his brother playing in the bright daylight, evocative of the time before the bomb, along with the cheerful music in the background, makes the entire scene one that displays a hope for the future. This is cemented when we flashback to a scene with Gen's father, who is an image of strength, and from whom Gen draws up the courage to live on. This is important to consider when we think of culturally, what purpose imagery, especially natural imagery, has in symbolizing hope for the people of Japan.

Barefoot Gen's effective use of family as a motif, coupled with the use of dark and light imagery and music to express the recurring presence of both trauma and hope for an atomic bomb survivor, makes the educational value of this film very tangible, as it can relate to a wide range of audiences.

Works Cited