A Fond Face from the Past
1941 · 34 MIN · IMDB 6.6 · 87 VOTES · DIR. Mikio Naruse
Overview
A Fond Face from the Past is also set in a rural community, specifically a village outside Kameoka, near Kyoto. In some ways this short, thirty-six-minute film is Naruse's most moving negotiation of the militarist restrictions of the time, perhaps because it is also his most direct engagement with the culture of war. When a newsreel comes to Kameoka featuring a local man named Yoichi, it causes some excitement in the community and, of course, in Yoichi's own family. First of all his mother makes the newsreel (Nippon News, no. 14), which begins with the same marching music that opens his own film, followed by a curious baby judging context in Los Angeles featuring two hundred Japanese babies. Released in January 1941, almost a year before the pacific war begins, this “found footage” is indicative of Japanese imperialist ambitions beyond Asia long before Pearl Harbor.
Dialogue Timeline — 310 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:30 A FOND FACE FROM THE PAST
00:03:19 Yes.
00:04:31 Yes, Kiyo was with me. She said that she was sure it was Yoichi.
00:05:13 Koichi took my airplane!
00:06:59 Koichi fell out of a tree.
00:08:14 with Yoichi was in it was in town.
00:08:52 I will, but I have a lot of things to do tomorrow.
00:10:24 That would be a big help. Thanks a lot.
00:11:43 You don't want to hurt your leg again.
00:13:09 Do you suppose she's watching the film now?
00:14:11 You've been looking like you wanted to eat them this whole time.
00:16:15 He looks quite healthy sitting in his chair with a big smile, holding his trophy.”
00:17:54 That's probably it, I think.
00:19:06 He was in, you know, the war news.
00:19:54 I wasn't paying much attention.
00:20:36 Make sure you pay attention when you see it.
00:22:12 Yes.
00:25:10 "The End"
00:26:20 Did you see the newsreel?
00:26:58 I was crying the whole time.
00:28:44 But both my mother and sister saw the newsreel and
00:31:05 Koichi, I'm sorry I lied to you, but your plane wasn't the reason
00:32:27 He seems to be much better.
00:34:05 translated by: Guy YASKO