Robo no Ishi (38)

[David Hopkins]

Last night on satellite channel Neco (run by Nikkatsu) they showed Robo no 
Ishi (A Oebble by the Wayside) from 1938. It was my first time to see it, 
and I haven't read the original novel, but I wonder if anyone has written 
much about this interesting movie. For a 1938 movie, the ending, where the 
much put upon boy decides to walk on his own two feet seems kind of out of 
synch with the "devotion to devotion" ethic of the times. (On the other 
hand, if you wanted to read it as a political parable, he could be "Japan" 
striking out on its own after years of domination and abuse by "others," but 
I doubt that people read movies this way very much back then.)

Richie/Anderson refer to it as Dickensian, but none of my other (my library 
is quite basic) sources have much to say about it. It was supposedly a 
long-running hit movie of the year.

Any good essays to access?
David Hopkins