That’s right — three of your favorite boys talkin’ BOY!
A preteen boy living on the streets of Tokyo pulls scams to provide for his dysfunctional family. It takes a toll on his body and his mind: He and his stepmom take turns throwing themselves in front of moving vehicles and extorting innocent motorists by threatening to go to the police. The scores keep getting bigger and the opportunities keep shrinking until it seems there’s no way out of the vicious cycle — not with a wounded vet for a dad, a toddler to care for, and another baby on the way.
In this episode, we tug at threads about growing wealth disparities during Japan’s “economic miracle,” the boy’s internal fantasies and external realities, and where in the world our friend Aaron Grossman went.
References:
#TwoFamilyTraumasbyNagisaŌshima #35mm
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Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: by Hikaru Hayashi from the BOY soundtrack.
Timestamps
0:00 - Episode 345: BOY (1969)
2:54 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary (under exclusive license from AG Enterprises, Ltd.)
6:59 - The overall experience of watching BOY
10:33 - The work of Nagisa Ōshima and criticism of postwar Japanese society
15:48 - Where this story chooses to focus its attention
29:13 - The family roles and who’s ‘responsible’ for their situation
44:46 - The crazy editing choices
54:57 - The ending and the boy’s growing sense of responsibility
1:08:28 - The Junk Drawer
1:16:48 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 1969
1:19:51 - Cody’s Noteys: Where in the World is Aaron Grossman? (Trivia about people named Aaron Grossman)
