Review of Bean Cake

Bean Cake (2001)
9/10
A brilliant, nearly perfect short film!
30 April 2002
Saw this short film at Filmfest DC and though it was the best of the shorts shown there. It really captures the feeling of submission to authority that children often feel in school, and magnifies it through the lens of Emperor-worship in pre-war Japan. The naive honesty of the main character, rather than any attempt at subversion, gets him into trouble with the teacher on his first day at a new school.

Half of the dialogue in this film is conveyed through facial expressions and glances, and it's executed flawlessly. The conclusion is sublime - hyperlogical and humorous at the same time. This short is what film is all about - it's sure to put a smile on your face!
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