Fires on the Plain
1959 ‘Nobi’ Directed by Kon Ichikawa
Synopsis
An agonizing portrait of desperate Japanese soldiers stranded in a strange land during World War II, Kon Ichikawa’s Fires on the Plain is a compelling descent into psychological and physical oblivion. Denied hospital treatment for tuberculosis and cast off into the unknown, Private Tamura treks across an unfamiliar Philippine landscape, encountering an increasingly debased cross section of Imperial Army soldiers, who eventually give in to the most terrifying craving of all. Grisly yet poetic, Fires on the Plain is one of the most powerful works from one of Japanese cinema’s most versatile filmmakers.
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This is the most disturbing movie that i have ever seen, totally anti war.
Will say no more so that you se this piece of art, not only worth a watch, but a rewatch if you can stomach it. -
This is one harrowing movie. Kon Ichikawas 1959 masterpiece deals with the struggle of a lonely, sick and disoriented Japanse soldier on a Phillpine island during the last days of the Second World War. Eiji Funakoshi plays Private Tamura, whom we see returning to his company in the first scene. Tamura has TB and went to the hospital, but the hospital sent him back without curing him. He was told he didn’t have anything serious.
His superior tells him he should return again, never to come back. So Tamura sets off to the hospital once again. On arriving at the hospital he is told, once again, that his condition is nowhere near as bad as the other soldiers lying on…
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I have to admit that watching the DVD extras on the Criterion helped bumped this from 4 stars to 4.5, but this is an amazing film.
Since the very end of 2012 I've been watching a movie a day, as opposed to my normal average of about 10/month. That means I've gotten back in the habit of watching gems like Fires on the Plain that are only easily available via Netflix DVDs, which isn't always convenient. But the quality of stuff I can watch when I have no limits is infinitely greater than if I'm limited to streaming or current releases in the theater. So I'm grateful that I can watch stuff like this, slowly working through my The Top…
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Great film
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This is the most disturbing movie that i have ever seen, totally anti war.
Will say no more so that you se this piece of art, not only worth a watch, but a rewatch if you can stomach it. -
I have to admit that watching the DVD extras on the Criterion helped bumped this from 4 stars to 4.5, but this is an amazing film.
Since the very end of 2012 I've been watching a movie a day, as opposed to my normal average of about 10/month. That means I've gotten back in the habit of watching gems like Fires on the Plain that are only easily available via Netflix DVDs, which isn't always convenient. But the quality of stuff I can watch when I have no limits is infinitely greater than if I'm limited to streaming or current releases in the theater. So I'm grateful that I can watch stuff like this, slowly working through my The Top…
-
This is one harrowing movie. Kon Ichikawas 1959 masterpiece deals with the struggle of a lonely, sick and disoriented Japanse soldier on a Phillpine island during the last days of the Second World War. Eiji Funakoshi plays Private Tamura, whom we see returning to his company in the first scene. Tamura has TB and went to the hospital, but the hospital sent him back without curing him. He was told he didn’t have anything serious.
His superior tells him he should return again, never to come back. So Tamura sets off to the hospital once again. On arriving at the hospital he is told, once again, that his condition is nowhere near as bad as the other soldiers lying on…
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Dark Japanese World War II drama set on the Philippines.
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A strong any war film but very very depressing. I still prefer The Burmese Harp.
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Great film