Rent The Burmese Harp (1956)

Very powerful post WWII Japanese film - The Burmese Harp review by Oli

Great film about the Japanese after WWII, I loved the theme of it how it's all circled around the beautiful music and singing, and it really suits the moving story, it's one of a kind. Mizushima is a naturally gifted harp player in his Japanese unit, his captain has a talented musical ear and has taught all of his unit how to sing to improve their morale when they're down during the war etc. it is told with brilliance by another member of the unit, they are on the road during the war then they come to a stop in British Territority in Burma, where they learn that the war has infact ended, they stay there at command by the British as Japan have surrended and the unit dutifuly surrender too, they soon learn that on a mountain nearby another Japanese unit hasn't heard of the news yet that Japan have surrendered and are still prepared to fight the British, Mizushima is sent to try and persuade them to drop their arms and surrender like Japan have done. What follows is some of the most powerful images in all of cinema, and is both a brilliant display of acting by both the captain of his unit played by Rentarô Mikuni and Mizushima played by the brilliant Shôji Yasui, it is an outstanding story about humanity and it is not to be missed by any Japanese cinema buff.

Anti-war film from a Japanese perspective - The Burmese Harp review by TE

A superb, unflinching examination of the profound damage caused by war.

In the UK we are used to seeing the Japanese in WW2 portrayed as uniformly cruel and inhuman. And there is no denying the extremes of barbarism practised in the POW camps.

However, 'The Burmese Harp' is based around a more nuanced understanding of the Japanese culture and mentality. Ichikawa doesn't shirk from showing the stubbornly warlike and violent side, but we also see the presence of soldiers who accept defeat with realism and hope for rebuilding in the future.

Music is the central metaphor. Music is shown to have the power to cross national boundaries and to inspire the positive aspects of human nature. The scene where Private Mizushima's unit surrenders in choral unison with their captors is transcendent.

Mizushima becomes the moral conscience of the film, and Ichikawa resists the temptation for a soft ending as Mizushima treks off into a harshly redemptive future.