The Irresponsible Fool (いいかげん馬鹿)

A SHOCHIKU PRESENTATION

Hajime Hana and Shima Iwashita...

...in...

THE IRRESPONSIBLE FOOL

Tokue Hanazawa, Hiroshi Inuzuka Tatsuo Matsumura, Tatsuya Ishiguro Taiji Tonoyama

Keiko Mizushina, Masakazu Kuwayama Kunie Origa, Takanobu Hozumi Chieko Seki, Kin Ishii

Akira Tani, Kyomi Sakura Toyoko Takechi, Chinpei Hayashiya Choji Oka, Yonemaru Katsura

Hajime Shoji, Yukie Yamamoto Shinji Tanaka, Kamon Kawamura Osami Nabe, Joji Yanagisawa Kazumi Kubo

Mitsuyo Mizushima, Yoji Toki Kanji Osugi, Eiko Hikari Kenichiro Kozai, Aki Minamikawa

M.E. Life, Taku Kido Kizo Takahata, Ryoko Mizuki

Teruko Higa, Keiko Onodera Hironori Koizumi, Masakuni Araki Yoshiaki Kurihara, Shizuko Nakanishi

Sumiko Katayama, Kiyo Murakami Yasuko Goto, Hideo Asami

Yoshiko Togawa, Manami Hori Naomi Kawamura, Haruko Chichibu Kenji Sonoda, Yoshio Sakata

Rie Matsukawa, Etsuko Yamamoto Chieko Suzuki, Shosuke Oni

Cinematography: Tetsuo Takaha Art Direction: Tatsuo Hamada

Music: Masayoshi Ikeda

Lighting: Yasukuni Toida Editing: Keiichi Uraoka

Audio Recording: Takashi Matsumoto Tuner: Shotaro Yoshida

Set Designer: Katsutaro Shimizu Assistant Director: Isao Kumagai

Written by: Yoji Yamada Isao Kumagai, Shunjun Omine

Produced by: Shigeru Wakita

Directed by: Yoji Yamada

1944

After the Tokyo air raids intensified,

my mother took me to the small island in the Seto Inland Sea where my father was born.

I still remember the dreamy feeling of being in a faraway land

after a long journey, experiencing sights I'd never seen before.

Oh, it's so good that you're here!

It's been quite a while...

The train must've been crowded!

Say hello, Yumiko.

Hello!

Oh! What a nice girl!

Do you remember me, Yumiko? I changed your diapers in Tokyo!

You were too little to remember, weren't you, Yumiko?

Sorry I'm late!

- Oh, Gen! - Hello.

Thanks a lot...

Nobuko, do you remember Gen?

- Sure, you gave us that big red snapper! - That's right!

Hello, thank you for your help.

Welcome back.

Yumi, this man is an expert fisherman!

Nice to meet you!

Likewise!

Hey, c'mon...

This is my brat, Yasukichi.

Well, I hope you two get along.

He's filthy...

- Yumi... - Say hello.

Nice to meet you!

Hey! Greet her properly!

Oh well!

I now think back fondly on the day I first met Yasu.

The countryside sure is quiet. Right, Nobuko?

Yes, it's like a dream compared to Tokyo.

And there's no reason for American planes to pass by an island like this!

Hey, hey!

- What're you doing?! - I ain't doin' nothin'!

You callin' me a crybaby?!

- Orphan beggar! - Orphan beggar!

That's enough! You twerps!

Jerks!

Give me that.

I said, give it!

I don't know if Yasu's parents were beggars or not,

but it is true that he was an abandoned child.

Old man Genta found him on the Water God shrine's stone steps,

and raised him on his own.

So, that girl is a foreigner...

No, stupid. She's Japanese.

Really? She smelled so good.

Well, she doesn't need a filthy brat like you hanging around.

You're just as dirty as me, Papa! You reek of fish!

I had a hard time making friends.

You sure smell nice!

City girl!

Get your rotten nose away!

Well, you've got rotten eyes!

You stupid pumpkin!

Why I oughtta!

Stupid!

Pumpkin!

Jerk!

Hey! Cut that out!

Leave her alone!

You're always up to no good!

Hey! What are you doing?!

Misbehaving again?

I was not!

You liar! Hey!

Suck an egg!

Come here. Don't cry.

One day, I was suddenly called back from school.

My ailing mother had collapsed from heart failure.

That night, my mother passed away.

Wow, pretty!

There's plenty out there.

- Where? - The Sanshiro Islands.

There's a lot?

Yeah.

Wanna see?

Oh, scary!

I found some!

Really?

There, see?

Yep!

The beautiful and mysterious things I'd never seen before

made me lose track of time.

Oh, no!

Oh, no, our boat!

Help!

Hey! Our boat is washing away! Somebody help!

Hey!

Somebody help!

Hey!

Fortunately, a passing boat was able to save us,

but I'll never forget how helpless we felt back then.

Papa! Let go! It hurts!

Let me go...

Ow! Ouch!

You imbecile!

If anything happens to that girl, I'll do more than strangle you!

- Foolish brat! - It hurts!

Papa, you jerk!

Ouch! Let me go!

I won't do it again!

Fire!

It's not fire. It's Gen's kid, Yasu. He took a boat out to sea.

Yasu?! What is he doing?!

I don't know. Gen must have scolded him for what happened earlier.

I'll go see.

The entire village searched for him,

but Yasu's boat was nowhere to be found.

Mister...

Ah, young lady...

What is it?

Where did Yacchan go in his boat?

I don't know...

Why did he go?

That damn Yasu...

He's a bad boy who put you in danger.

God must have taken him somewhere.

Gen!

Thank you for your hard work!

I filed a request with the main police station this morning.

I'm sure he's fine on one of the islands around here.

He's a rambunctious kid. Don't worry about him.

I'm sorry to have bothered you all...

The sea was calm last night.

I thought of Yasu

weeping and rowing his little boat on the moonlit sea.

And, suddenly, I felt sad.

Thinking that I'd never see him again,

I reflected on how cold I'd been to Yasu.

Even as a child, I felt so much pity for Yasu that I could not stop crying.

That was spring, more than a decade ago...

Oh, hey, Yumi!

Yoo-hoo!

Tomo!

Yumi, what's up?

I got in!

Congratulations!

Are you the only one who got accepted to Okayama U.?

The boys must be ashamed!

Hey, hey! Are you happy now?

Of course I am!

Will you commute?

I'm thinking of staying at a boarding house.

Will you major in English? French? Work at a Tokyo women's magazine?

Oh, who knows!

Oh, so nice!

I will never forget the day I received my college acceptance letter.

Because that is the day I saw Yasu again.

You're loving it, man!

This is my island! I'm feeling nostalgic!

- You got a nice girl there? - Well...

Hey, come here.

Great work! Thank you!

- Help! Quick! - Whoopsie!

Go right ahead!

It's too heavy!

Great wor... Oh! Watch out!

I believe the inn is at the end of the road on the right...

Hey, show her, will you?

Thank you, thank you.

Hey! Good day! How're you?

Uhm... Who are you...?

Me?

I'm Yasukichi! Yasukichi Unno!

Unno...?

You mean, Gen's...?

That's right!

You're alive!

And you are...?

Hiroshi!

From the oil shop!

- The oil shop kid? - Yeah!

It's been a while, huh?!

How's your sister? About to get married?