This week’s selection brings together films starring children with a rebellious opposition to conformity from the end of the 1950s to the mid 60s. The films are all reminiscent of a time when the overabundance of commercial goods, now only one click away, was still a somewhat distant reality. But most of all, these children each expose the foolishness of the adult world, often with an incredulous smile and playful gestures.
Ohayō [Good Morning] (Yasujirō Ozu, 1959)
In Ozu’s Ohayō, two children dream of having a television set. The young brothers, living in a suburb of Tokyo, go on a silence strike after their parents refuse to give them one. They want the television set to watch sumo wrestling matches, something they can only do at the neighbour’s house. Their story is set to the background of quarrelling neighbours in a small neighbourhood which seems to be governed by gossip. Having substituted talking for a makeshift form of sign-language and flatulence, the two boys edge closer to the present of their dreams while Ozu casts a satirical eye on Japanese consumerism. You can watch Ohayō on the BFI Player.
Menino da Calça Branca [The Boy in White Trousers] (Sérgio Ricardo, 1962)
In Menino da Calça Branca, the desired object is a pair of crisp white trousers. They are a most curious Christmas gift to a young boy living in Macedo Sobrinho, a favela near to Rio de Janeiro. Proud of his new gift he decides to slip them on for a walkabout downtown but ultimately finds great difficulty in keeping them clean. Sérgio Ricardo, perhaps one of the only singer-directors in film history, is mostly known for his part in Brazil’s musical history. He also composed the soundtrack that served as narration for Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol [Black God, White Devil] (Glauber Rocha, 1964), with lyrics written by Rocha. Lesser known are the films he directed, which are often accompanied by his own compositions. His work is featured in a retrospective hosted by the Brazilian platform Limite. You can watch Menino da Calça Branca, his debut film, here.
Beppie (Johan van der Keuken, 1965)
The last film in the selection is Johan van der Keuken’s portrait of the ten-year-old girl next door named Beppie, who comes from a family of nine. Her character is maybe the most relentless to the conventions of adulthood, as she laughingly mocks all its aspects. In this, van der Keuken resolutely chooses her side. She doesn’t have much trust in boys either (except maybe for Hennie, but only temporarily) and consistently shrugs off worries about the future. If we compare the period when Ozu’s film was created to when Beppie was released, the difference of six years means that Beppie is already all too familiar with and has developed a certain aptitude for living in an increasingly consumerist society. As Beppie’s sister proclaims at the end: “Beppie once got a ring and then she sold it”. Beppie is available to rent on the Eye Film Player.
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