lailaduisenova Burmese Harp directed by Kon Ichikawa in 1956 is a drama movie with documental elements. It takes place in a Burma where Japanese soldiers , and especially Mizushima, are primary characters. It discusses the issue of patriotism, when regarding the Japanese soldiers and their surrender to the British army by the World War II. It also includes details that open up the theme of Buddhism and shows it by some aspects in a film. Basically, it is the time of summer in 1945, and tensions between Japan and British people are present. Mizushima's troop became aware that it is way better to surrender, as British will probably attack and it will be needless death for Japanese soldiers in this War. Though some troops are agreed to surrender, there is another group that is against such decision. Thus, Mizushima was sent by the commanders to the mission. Unfortunately, Mizushima was suppressed by the British militaries and forced to convince rest of the Japanese soldiers in Burma to rise the white flag or in other way, there will be massive bombarding of those soldiers. However, it was impossible for Mizushima to convince the soldiers and as a result there was a death of lots of people. Mizushima was hardly injuried and was healed by the Burmese monk. Consequently, protagonist himself turns out to be the monk and pursue the end goal of going back to Japan only after burying his fellow Japanese brothers in a proper and respective way. It is important to point out how the topic of patriotism and Buddhism is risen in a "Burmese Harp". Firstly, the fact that Japanese soldiers was ready to surrender for the sake of safety of their county worth telling that it is pure patriotism, eternal love, pride for the nation and of course self-sacrifice. BY self- sacrifice I mean how it is nothing for soldiers to drop out their pride as a human, as a soldiers , as a fighters just to keep Japanese safe. Other Japanese troop is also patriotic ones, but in another glance, for them patriotism was equal to the infinite love for the nation, so that they can even die for Japan if it serve some good future and safety. However, as for many Japanese people in general, the only proper, respective and not wasted death is death in a fight, in this case in a War with the British. They find Mizushima who came to offer them choice to surrender as a disrespect and betrayal. It could also be find in an episode where the troop discusses moment when they saw some Buddhist monk whose face resembles with their brother who was considered as dead one. As their hope for the Mizuhsima to be alive was disagreed by the commanders who propose that a single thought that MIzushima is not dead, consequently not died in a fight for the nation, is the same as to say that it was useless death and it is highly disrespectful for Mizushima's spirit. If considering elements regarding Buddhism, the viewers of the film can notice lots of episodes with the presence of the statues of Buddha, there was 2 different once in a temple of the monk who took care of the Mizushima: Buddha showing peaceful sign and Buddha in a para-nirvana. There are also numerous episodes with the temples and other statues. The moment with the Mizushima himself in a steppe where he wanders for a long time, with an injured leg and almost starved to death, when some laymen make him offerings as a food. However, what I personally find strange is how Mizushima eats the offered food. It is obvious that he was starving for days, but the episode of how he eats the food hardly show the patience and lack of desire that monk should possess. This could be argued as Mizuhsima is not a true monk to some extent and probably not achieved most of the goals that Buddhist monk should accomplish. This also could be understand as him becoming a monk not because his strong belief in Buddhist religious traditions or etc, but simply because of the respect and admiration towards the monk that saved his life, it is probably matter of the circumstances. The details and symbols also play major role in a "Burmese Harp" as they show more emotional and mental atmosphere and conditions of the characters. For example, it is interesting how weather conditions illustrate the atmosphere in a movie. It was rainy when troops were together and recalled Mizushima or discussed his death or possibility of being alive. This shows the deep sorrow and sadness that his fellow Japanese soldiers feel so that the audience also will sad and feel the damping atmosphere. Or there was a heavy and dark clouds as the rain with a thunder is coming when the moments were too sorrow, depressed and regarding the death. The Harp itself , I consider, is a symbol of peace, friendship as the music is the language of love and people do not need any words while making it when they want something to express. The theme of peace could be seen when there was a possibility that enemies are coming to the troop, when they start to sing as a choir and laugh in order to distract coming people. However, they see that it is not the enemies but Burmese and they join them in a choir. Generally, I consider that this movie is of a high quality, both from the cast side, montage, design and scenario. I felt everything that I should have been and I think that I had a great time while watching this film even though it is of 1956 production which is pretty old. Nevertheless, I reckon that the topic of Buddhism was not fully uncovered here or analyzed only superficially

gavin6942 In the War's closing days, when a conscience-driven Japanese soldier fails to get his countrymen to surrender to overwhelming force, he adopts the lifestyle of a Buddhist monk.In Japan, Nikkatsu, the studio that commissioned the film, released it in two parts, three weeks apart. Part one (running 63 minutes) opened on January 21, 1956, and part two (80 minutes) opened on February 12, both accompanied by B movies. Its total running time of 143 minutes was cut to 116 minutes for later re-release and export, reputedly at Ichikawa's objection.I have only recently become aware of Nikkatsu, and more so in the context of their gangster films. This is really quite a feat, and the use of music is excellent. I appreciate these stories of post-war Japan (and the surrounding countries). Such a marked difference from post-war America, which was mostly celebration... everywhere else was destroyed.

CountZero313 Towards the end of WWII, a group of Japanese soldiers struggle through the chaos of national disintegration, trying to reach the border through the Burmese jungle. Their Captain is musically trained and forms them into an ad hoc male choir in order to maintain morale. Foot soldier Mizushima plays the titular instrument and as such become a talismanic figure in the group. When he later disappears and suffers an existential crisis, his fate comes to obsess the group as a whole.Ichikawa's iconic piece contains a strong anti-war theme that survives beyond its 1945 setting. Mizushima's troop are timeless, soldiers dreaming of homes, wives, town festivals; clinging to nostalgia to guide them home and fighting on for each other rather than any greater cause inspired by the imagined national community. Much more identifiable with the period are the troop holding out against the British even after national surrender, fanatics looking to die for an Emperor who has forsaken them rather than return to their families and rebuilding of the community. Among these men, there are no songs.Mizushima's conversion from soldier-musician to selfless monk symbolises a state of reflection that follows all armed conflict. The film has been criticised for failing to confront the barbarism of the Imperial army, but this lack of identification with specific national failings is what gives the film a theme that transgresses to other cultures, conflicts and evils - the coming to terms with a life to be lived in the aftermath of horror. The flaws on the Yamato spirit may not be interrogated, but the atrocities of war are present, most visibly in Mizushima's encounter with the rotting flesh of fallen comrades being picked over by scavenger birds. The framing is impeccable, and those looking for a quintessential Japanese aesthetic will be surprised by the extensive use of closeups. The music is spare and suitably evocative of military camaraderie and frightened young men coping far from home. Mizushima's journey is both symbolic and highly plausible, as is the reaction of his brothers-in-arms. Great cinema in its own right, and at the very top of the tree in anti-war movies.

Cosmoeticadotcom While a bit sentimental, it never veers into mawkishness, and the full five or so minute reading is one of the great humanist documents in cinema, perhaps even greater than Charlie Chaplin's speech at the end of The Great Dictator. Mizushima claims his new mission in life is monkdom, and helping to bury the war dead, and promote peace in the world. The film then makes an interesting decision, and one virtually uncommented on in any of the criticism of it I've read. After the letter is read, the film's narration (which opens the film, and is rather sparse) begins again. All along, viewers have been led to believe- via closeups of the captain's face during other narrations, that it is he who has been telling this film's story from some indefinite time in the future. But, no; the speaker, as the camera move sin, turns out to be a wholly anonymous member of the unit; one who had no prior scenes nor close-ups.Imagine, as example, had Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick, not opened with Call me Ishmael, and the reader only found out who the narrator was on the last page, and had to guess if the narrator was omniscient, or a member of the Pequod, only to be startled their guess was wrong. The reason this is so important, looking back at the film, is that a) the point of view change from the expected narrator to another recapitulates the confusion that the troop has over whether or not the monk they see is their comrade- thus letting the viewer 'feel' the confusion that the internal characters are feeling- albeit for a different reason, b) it makes the viewer question whether or not what has been shown is true or not, since we now know the narrator is not the reliable and honorable captain- a character we would trust as reliable. This ties the whole film back to the more fairy tale like quality of the source novel. The final reason, c), it forces the viewer to wonder whether or not he or she has assumed other things that were not so in the narrative, even if one accepts that all the anonymous private has revealed is true.This is an astonishingly effective device that Ichikawa employs, and coming on the heels of the straightforward and moving missive revelation by Mizushima, the audacity of Ichikawa's narrative sleight of hand erases any doubts over whether this film is great or not. It is as great a film as his later Fires On The Plain, which, narratively and tonally, is almost the complete opposite of this film. But, the fact that such a key element in the film has never been commented upon before shows how little most critics actually pay attention to the subjects they criticize, as well as how little they understand how even a small moment, or the slight use of a technique, can radically change the whole tenor of a work of art. This is too often because the critics approach art with their own biases in tow, rather than viewing the work on its own merits. Another moment that has gone critically unnoticed is the scene on the bridge, between Mizushima (dressed as a monk) and his troop. This occurs two times. The first time, the viewer is as confused as the soldiers are, but the second time, the narrator tells the audience it was definitely Mizushima. Thus, we know that Mizushima's ruse will be found out, and this diverts the narrative tension from will the soldiers learn the truth of Mizushima? to how will they learn it, and will they learn why? This is not an insignificant narrative change of direction, but one, again, which never seems to have stirred critics.The DVD, put out by The Criterion Collection, is well transferred- the black and white hues are brilliant. However, the DVD lacks an audio commentary- an increasing annoyance with Criterion releases ever since they went to their new C logo. There are too all too brief interviews with Ichikawa and Renataro Mikuni, who played the captain. There is a trailer, and only subtitles, again in white- another bête noir of Criterion, for white subtitles often are lost against the whites of a black and white film. Colored subtitles are a must if no English dubbed soundtrack is to be added. The insert contains an essay on the film by film critic Tony Rayns, but it's a rather pedestrian take on the subject. Akira Ifukube's score is solid; the only real highlights are the delightful harp playing by Mizushima.Overall, The Burmese Harp is a great film. It is not one of those razzle-dazzle works of art that is flashy, but it gets the job done, and invites rewatchings to elicit subtleties one viewing may miss. It also kills the old notion that all war films- even those with explicitly anti-war themes- end up celebrating war because of the battle scenes and those scenes which show individual valor. Both this film and Fires On The Plain kill that notion; the former by eliding almost all scenes of battle, and the latter by the sheer devastation of the results of war it shows. It certainly deserved its nomination for an Academy Award as best Foreign Film, as well as numerous other festival awards. Ichikawa's reputation is that of a serviceable studio director, and that may be true; but the two films of his I've seen are the equals of the best films made by the titanic Japanese triumvirate of Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, and Kenji Mizoguchi. Here's hoping he has a few more deviations from that norm others claim for him.