Being Two Isn’t Easy (Watashi wa nisai)
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
Written by Natto Wada from a novel by Michio Matsuda
1962/Japan
Daiei Studios
First viewing/FilmStruck
[box] The fundamental job of a toddler is to rule the universe. Lawrence Kutner [/box]
This is a totally charming movie for baby lovers everywhere.
The film looks at the development of a baby boy named Taro from birth to his second birthday, with emphasis on his second year of life. We hear Taro’s perspective but also see through the eyes of his parents and eventually his grandmother. It’s mostly every day stuff with a couple of crises thrown in for dramatic effect.
You really wouldn’t expect this from Ichikawa whose previous films included The Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain. The director showed he also had mastered gentle comedy. I was completely won over. Recommended.
