Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight

Gr 9 Up—This brief documentary focuses on the experiences of three Japanese women who married American GIs stationed in Japan during the post-World War II occupation. Now in their 80s, the women revisit their experiences in candid interviews with their American-born daughters. Conditions in postwar Japan were difficult; each hoped marriage to an American would improve her fortunes. The film notes that there were "tens of thousands" of war brides, so many that the U.S. military offered "bride school" training, which aimed to ease the transition. In America's "melting pot" culture of the 1950s, outsiders were expected to assimilate. Many war brides felt unprepared and isolated; few spoke English fluently. One recalls that her in-laws, who called her "Sue," never accepted her. Another found herself living in an isolated rural area, with her husband away on another tour of duty. Marriages were often rocky, but most women started families right away. In the final section, the daughters discuss their upbringing. As teenagers, they felt their mothers were out of step and overly restrictive, but all now acknowledge their mothers' courage and perseverance. One of the women borrowed money from her husband, earned a degree in microbiology, and went on to a career at the National Library of Medicine. This well-crafted documentary offers an intimate perspective on this period, but it could have benefited from more historical context and framing to put the stories of these war brides and their families into context and broaden the insights expressed in these interviews.