Nijûshi no hitomi

Set between the late 1920s and the early 1950s. The story of a teacher who comes to a village on the Inland Sea and the relationship that develops between her and her 12 pupils (the 24 eyes of the title) of the elementary school. The children grow and go to secondary school, where the teacher goes too. The war comes and the boys go into the services as does the teacher's husband. The teacher stops teaching because she does not agree with the militaristic ethos of the times.

After the war the teacher returns to the village school to teach the children of her original pupils.

A lovely film to look at beautifully photographed in colour. The settings are mainly the village and its surroundings. A very pretty part of the world. The film was made in a specially constructed village on the island of Shodoshima in the Inland Sea. Anyone who has seen the film and has the chance to visit should do so. It really brings the film back to mind.

Japanese language with English sub-titles.

Called Children on the Island outside Japan.

I saw this film at a free show sponsored by the Japanese embassy.

I highly recommend this film.

The original version of Twenty-Four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi) was released in 1954, and became one of the most beloved Japanese films ever released. In 1987, a new version was released in color. What's surprising is how really good it is.

In fact, it's almost a scene-by-scene re-do of the original - the kind of thing that often leads to disaster. But the screenplay is so rock solid that it stands the test of time, and what results is a charming, deeply emotional story of a rural schoolteacher and the students she follows through their adult lives. Some might say its sacrilege to compare one to the other, but modern audiences seem to fall in love with the 1987 version in spite of themselves. Stunning colors combine with Yuko Tanaka's breathtaking lead performance to create a film almost certain to enchant. Several scenes actually surpass the original.

The unfortunate thing is that, given the dominance of Kinoshita's classic original, it's just about impossible to locate a copy of the sequel. The film had a one-showing American run, and has never been available on DVD. Sad, since it's so consistently arresting.