The Boss's Son At College

I was inspired to see Hiroshi Shimizu's 1933 silent film, The Boss's Son at College when a student inquired whether it was OK to watch for a Japanese Cinema class assignment. I enjoyed the films I saw by Shimizu in the Eclipse Series 15: Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu. Incidentally this film is available with English subtitles on YouTube. This film is said to be Shimizu's most biographical film about a wealthy soy sauce manufacturer's son, Fuji (Mitsugu Fuji),  who doesn't want to settle down, but enjoys drinking and womanizing and eventually gets kicked off the rugby team for his unruly ways. It is essentially a light hearted comedy, however it are some serious themes broached in the film such as adherence to traditional cultural values as being a member of a family (marrying to perpetuate the family's name and wealth)  and group (rugby team and school). There are some great location shots at a harbor (Yokohoma?), on a bridge in Fukugawa (?), and other parts of Tokyo. The interior shots are equally framed in the tradition of other greats like Ozu and Mizoguchi. Like Ozu he uses Hollywood posters of films he likes in the background of one of his indoor locations (the house of a classmate being supported by a showgirl sister). Speaking of Ozu, I am pretty sure that the child actor with a small part in this film is also the one who stared in Ozu's film, I Was Born, But.... While researching this film I came across a great article about Shimizu on the MIdnighteye website that should be of interest to anyone interested in the films of Shimizu..

While on the surface lighter in tone than Shimizu's other silents of the period - there are no deaths or other tragic incidents in the story - The Boss's Son Goes to College is, nevertheless, a work with serious thematic implications. - See more at: http://www.midnighteye.com/features/hiroshi-shimizu-silent-master-of-the-japanese-ethos/#sthash.L0yIvry7.dpuf

While on the surface lighter in tone than Shimizu's other silents of the period - there are no deaths or other tragic incidents in the story - The Boss's Son Goes to College is, nevertheless, a work with serious thematic implications. - See more at: http://www.midnighteye.com/features/hiroshi-shimizu-silent-master-of-the-japanese-ethos/#sthash.L0yIvry7.dpuf

While on the surface lighter in tone than Shimizu's other silents of the period - there are no deaths or other tragic incidents in the story - The Boss's Son Goes to College is, nevertheless, a work with serious thematic implications. - See more at: http://www.midnighteye.com/features/hiroshi-shimizu-silent-master-of-the-japanese-ethos/#sthash.L0yIvry7.dpuf

While on the surface lighter in tone than Shimizu's other silents of the period - there are no deaths or other tragic incidents in the story - The Boss's Son Goes to College is, nevertheless, a work with serious thematic implications. - See more at: http://www.midnighteye.com/features/hiroshi-shimizu-silent-master-of-the-japanese-ethos/#sthash.L0yIvry7.dpuf