Back when the project that eventually became “Tora-san: Our Lovable Tramp” was conceptualised, most of the people involved would have probably never guessed the pop-culture phenomenon it would go on to become or the effect it would have on their lives and careers. Kiyoshi Atsumi, the lead actor, probably had no idea that the character would end up being his biggest legacy and that he'd be playing it until his death in '96. Director Yoji Yamada would have also never imagined that he would be returning to direct a Tora-san film until the age of 88, writing every of the 50 screenplays and directing most of them. Shochiku, the studio that was Tora-san's home, would have never thought that this character would effectively keep the studio afloat single-handedly for a number of years. Yet here we are, 50 years later, with none of the character's and series's prominence diminished. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the first Tora-san story, along with a few others and the latest (possibly last) one, is currently playing at Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film.
“Tora-san: Our Lovable Tramp” is screening at Japan Cuts
Torajiro Kuruma has been away from his home in Shibamata, Tokyo for 20 years, having left following a quarrel with his father. Now a travelling salesman, Tora-san returns home since he's been missing Shibamata and, most of all, his younger step-sister Sakura. Now of a marrying age, Sakura and their uncle and aunty, who have been looking after Sakura and their sweetshop since their parents' passing, welcome Tora with open arms. The well-intentioned but unrefined Torajiro tries to help in their efforts of finding a suitable groom for the beautiful Sakura, but his unpolished ways fail him and he ends up being more of an embarrassment and hindrance in the efforts, despite his big heart and best intentions. Meanwhile, in his own love-life, Torajiro ends up falling for Fuyuko, the head priest's daughter.
While the Japanese audience were introduced to the character in a short-lived TV show, “Tora-san: Our Lovely Tramp” is the perfect, delightful entry-point for the wider public not only to the lovable oaf but also the narrative structure that almost all Tora-san stories would go on to follow. Torajiro has little in the way of etiquette and politeness, yet ends up winning hearts with his pure intentions and the hilarious ways they backfire. While this makes for great comedy, it also gives way for a sufficient amount of melodrama along the way and a lot of it comes from the doe-eyed Sakura. The well-mannered and soft-spoken Sakura acts as a great antithesis to the boorish and drunken Tora. Her character is the source of most of the warmth in the film, from her loving welcome of her returning brother and her love story with Hiroshi, a factory-help who works behind the Kuruma house. When coupled with the Naozumi Yamamoto's music, these melodramatic moments become more profound.
Yamada's screenplay does betray the character's TV series origins, with the narrative coming across in three distinctive episodic parts instead of one free-flowing tale. But it is to his direction's credit that they are connected well enough and are not too jarring, balancing the humour with the melodrama well. But all of this pales in comparison to the sheer screen presence of Kiyoshi Atsumi, the chief reason that the series went on to be so beloved. Tora-san is sometimes not a very likeable person, his mere presence at a place causing trouble for his family. And yet it is easy to see how the actor, with that cheeky smile on his face and his bulldozing, drunken ways, managed to create a special place in the hearts and pop-culture of the country. A lot of that has to do with his luckless love-life and Atsumi's portrayal of the same. The scene where he accompanies Sakura to the marriage meeting or the aftermath of his argument with his Uncle are both great examples of the actor's range.
The rest of the cast is equally good, of which Chieko Baisho and Sakura being the second most-important actor and character. Her Sakura grounds Tora and, despite his meddling ways, she still loves her brother unconditionally. Sachiko Matsumoto as Fuyuko, the series's first Madonna (all the women Tora falls for are called “Madonna”), is also rather well-cast, but Gin Maeda's Hiroshi doesn't feature as much as he would go on to in some of the other stories. The presence of Japanese acting legends Chishu Ryu and Takashi Shimura as high-priest Gozen-sama and Hiroshi's father Hyoichiro Suwa respectively, was a pleasant surprise.
The Japanese title for “Tora-san: Our Lovable Tramp” is “Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo”, which translates as “It's Tough Being a Man”. Based on what's on display in this first cinematic story of the character, it is plain to see why it wasn't tough for the Japanese audience to love this man. Truly a very fitting introduction to one of the most-loved series, its characters and charismatic lead actor.
