Topic 9

In the family game the director is obviously unimpressed with the image of the modern Japanese family. He portrays the father as a man that works, comes home, gets drunk, and sleeps. The mother is left to handle everything else. The children are expected to want the best no matter what the circumstances. The end of the movie features a scene at the dinner table that ends is complete pandemonium. The close of the movie ends with the death of everyone in the house. This film was very strange and hard to follow, however after a lecture following the movie I understood it a bit better.

I did not have a very good understanding of that particular part of the film. I do not believe that I can answer this specific question adequately.

I believe that the new neighbor’s character in the film was necessary to show how unsocial some members of the Japanese culture can be. Because the mother said one word to the neighbor, this woman latched on to her for friendship. This woman could also represent outside culture, she did things untraditionally and was pushed away hurriedly because of it.

The ending of the movie suggests that if the Japanese family continues to operate as it does in the movie that the family will eventually fall apart or die.