Burmese Harp - Criterion Collection
by Kon Ichikawa
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jun Hamamura, Rentar? Mikuni, Sh?ji Yasui, Taketoshi Nait?, Tatsuya MihashiDirector: Kon Ichikawa
Brand: IMAGE ENT.
Cinematographer: Minoru Yokoyama
Editor: Masanori Tsujii
Producer: Masayuki Takaki
Writer: Michio Takeyama
Writer: Natto Wada
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Japanese (Original Language); English (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-03-13
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Criterion
Product features:
- An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close World War II and finds harmony through song. A corporal, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. Magnificently shot in hushed black and white, Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one o
Movie Reviews of Burmese Harp - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: One of the most powerful anti-war films in memory
Summary: 5 Stars
spoilers (kind of)
The film's anti-war message is obvious, but conveyed progressively. There is no sudden transformation. Instead the slow transformation occurs through the main protagonist's (Mizushima) mental struggle on whether he should return to his army comrades and return to his home country or stay behind and allow the spirits of the Japanese soldiers to ascend.
At first, the audience understands Mazushima's transformation from a Japanese Army soldier into a Burmese monk to be a superficial means of surviving. He acts the part, but he is no monk. He plays the monk to survive the journey to Mudon. But along his journey, he observes the horrors of war. The lifeless bodies of his former Japanese comrades. Their bodies piled on top of another. Ichikawa skilfully shows Mizushima's transformation as he sees the horrors and how Mizushima can no longer bear to see the destruction.
The photography is beautiful. The best I've seen from a film from this decade. Ichikawa does so much, with so little. Every scene has a purpose in the plot. Shots are set up differently. I remarked that I would've loved to have seen the 1985 colour version of this film.
The music is haunting and has purpose in underscoring the destruction we see. But there are uplifting moments. And there are moments where we see camaraderie even among british and japanese soldiers. All these are underscored by the song that is selected. The songs sung by the Japanese soldiers are symbolic and full of purpose towards one of the central themes of this movie. Song serves to unite the soldiers. Many of the songs sung by the Japanese soldiers were the same sung by my father when he was in school.
The ending is indescribably touching. And the parting shot of Mizushima walking the Burmese desert alone will have you at your most vulnerable emotional state as the phrase: "The soil of Burma is red, and so are its rocks" rolls by.
This without a doubt, the best film I've seen this year. You probably won't undergo a life-changing decision to devote your life to aid the suffering of others after you see this film, but you'll think long and hard about your existence. your purpose. perhaps most importantly, you'll come away from this film feeling better about yourself. Perhaps it's not so much a war film, as it is a spiritual quest. Such a story could be told through German or Russian eyes as well.
Highly, highly recommended. In my opinion, along with Akira Kurosawa's 'Ikiru' these two are the best Japanese films of the 1950s.
The Criterion Collection is an excellent transfer. And has several extras, including an interview with Director Kon Ichikawa.
Summary of Burmese Harp - Criterion Collection
An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close World War II and finds harmony through song. A corporal, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. Magnificently shot in hushed black and white, Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema's most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan's wartime legacy.Kon Ichikawa's Buddhist tale of peace, The Burmese Harp, is universally relevant in various eras and cultures, although it comments specifically on the destruction of Burma during World War II. Based on the novel by Michio Takeyama, The Burmese Harp stars a Japanese platoon stationed in Burma whose choir skills are inspired by their star musician, Private Mizushima (Rentaro Mikuni), who strums his harp to cheer the homesick soldiers. As the troop surrenders to the British and is interred in Mudon prison camp, Mizushima escapes to be faced with not only his imminent death, but also the deaths of thousands of other soldiers and civilians. Relinquishing his life as a military man, Mizushima retreats into a life of Buddhist prayer, dedicating himself to healing a wounded country. Filmed in black and white, strong visual contrasts heighten the divide between peace, war, life, and death in this highly symbolic film. Scenes in which the Japanese soldiers urge opposing forces to sing with them portray military men regardless of alliance as emotionally sensitive. Showing the humanistic aspects of war, such as the male bonding that occurs between soldiers, doesn't justify war as much as deepens its tragedy. This release includes interviews with the director and with Mikuni, further contextualizing its place in Japanese cinema. The Burmese Harp, with its lessons in compassion and selflessness, is so transformative that viewing it feels somewhat akin to a religious experience. --Trinie Dalton
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