For the WEEKEND: In honor of Cindy Sheehan..."The Burmese Harp" / Netflix Rental !

[KoKo]

(For Peace/Hope DU'ers this movie made in 1955 is a MUST SEE for hope. Produced by Japanese...so soon after WWII. It's lyric and thoughtful. It's a good weekend rental. I got it from Netflix...and it's just be remastered for re-release so other places may have it. I post this for Cindy.)


http://www.amazon.com/Burmese-Harp-Rentaro-Mikuni/dp/6303073085

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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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

Product Description
A poetic trek across a pain-filled landscape, this powerful antiwar film is a classic example of Ichikawa's (Fires on the Plain) visual intensity and unyielding pacifism. Set at the close of World War II, The Burmese Harp focuses on the obsessions that drive one Japanese soldier to stay in Burma while his company tries to escape into neutral land. A stunning evocation of the private's spiritual conversion shows him surrounded by corpses, facing the insurmountable task of burying Japan's war dead.


more here......with other opinions..

http://www.amazon.com/Burmese-Harp-Rentaro-Mikuni/dp/6303073085

[KoKo]

1. BTW! This Movie is NOT DEPRESSING! It's very uplifting in it's lyrical way...

I know there are many here on DU who, like me, can't stand any more depressing stuff about WAR. This one is unusual in that it leaves one with a sense of continuity..and resolve about our human condition that WAR leaves all folks across our globe wondering...What is it all about...and how folks deal with it. It's NOT depressing movie...but incredibly beautiful and extraordinary..given it's time frame so soon after WWII when America and Japan still had so much bad blood between them.

The interview with the Director and the Main Japanes Star (now old men) are also worth the watch on the DVD...their insight is well...it's just worth the watch....