KENJI COMES HOME tells a story about a demobbed Japanese soldier, sent back to his hometown and trying to make his way. He makes friends with a small boy and starts looking for work; it's tough to find, but he does. He also finds an old friend and begins a new life. But Japan was in turmoil after the War, and the newly formed union at work is taken over by communists, and the old friends turn out to be Christians. They help him some, but money is very short, and the Christian girl he is in love with is going off to teacher's college. What is he to do?
And more, what are American Christians to do? There's a line early on "The old gods have lost face", leaving an opportunity for Christian missionaries. But they need money. The unspoken message here is for the audience to give that money, not just to help Christianity, but the Japanese.
The cinematographer is Saburô Isayama. Money was undoubtedly short for skilled craftsmen like him, and he shoots his subjects simply but well.
