The Burmese Harp (1956 film)
Based on a children's novel of the same name written by Michio Takeyama, it tells the story of Japanese soldiers who fought in the Burma Campaign during World War II.A member of the group goes missing after the war, and the soldiers hope to uncover whether their friend survived, and if he is the same person as a Buddhist monk they see playing a harp.Captain Inouye tells the men to sing, laugh and clap, to give the British the impression that they are unaware of their presence.She also gives the captain a letter, that explains that Mizushima has decided not to go back to Japan with them, because he must continue burying the dead while studying as a monk and promoting the peaceful nature of mankind.[4] Takeyama explained he planned to write about China, but the music he referenced in his story was not commonly found there.[3] For a screenplay, Ichikawa turned to his wife Natto Wada, who wrote it alone and at a fast pace, but based on her husband's concepts.The group learns the war is over when Mizushima plays "Hanyo no yado", with the British joining in by singing "Home![13][15] In 1993, film scholar Audie Bock praised Ichikawa's use of "the Burmese landscape and the eerie power of its Buddhist statuary and architecture to sustain the mood of Mizushima's conversion and the mystification of his Japanese comrades."[17] In 2002, the BBC commented The Burmese Harp was "one of the first films to portray the decimating effects of World War II from the point of view of the Japanese army".[18] In 2007, Dave Kehr wrote in The New York Times that despite appearing sentimental, the film "has a clarity of purpose and a simplicity of execution that make it still appealing".He wrote it would be impossible for Ichikawa to know about the scale of Japanese war crimes soldiers inflicted in countries such as Burma, with academic Joan Mellen accusing the film of whitewashing.[7] In his 2013 Movie Guide, Leonard Maltin gave the film three and a half stars, calling it an "extraordinary antiwar drama".
Kon IchikawaNatto WadaThe Burmese HarpMichio TakeyamaMasayuki TakagiRentarō MikuniShôji YasuiJun HamamuraAkira IfukubeNikkatsunovel of the same nameBurma CampaignWorld War IIBuddhist monkAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Filmthe remakeBritish and Indian soldiersHome! Sweet Home!Japanese surrenderparrotNihongoShoji YasuiTaketoshi NaitoKō Nishimurafairy taleHakoneIzu PeninsulaStupasMyanmarBuddhaJapanese nationalismfull moonsHenry Bishopdouble featuresB moviesVenice International Film FestivalEnglish languageThe Criterion CollectionAudie BockBurmese landscapeThe Los Angeles TimesJapanese armyDave KehrThe New York TimesTony RaynsJapanese war crimesJapanese imperialismLeonard MaltinAcademy Awards27 March 1957Best Foreign Language FilmMainichi Film AwardsVenice Film Festival28 August – 9 September 1956Fires on the PlainAsiatic-Pacific TheaterKiichi NakaiKōji Ishizakaa list of important filmsList of submissions to the 29th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language FilmList of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmBox Office MojoTurner Classic MoviesThe Chicago ReaderBBC FourAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesU.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsTCM Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseCriterion CollectionRotten TomatoesA Thousand and One Nights with TohoThe HeartThe HoleConflagrationOdd ObsessionA Woman's TestamentHer BrotherTen Dark WomenBeing Two Isn't EasyAn Actor's RevengeAlone Across the PacificTokyo OlympiadTopo Gigio and the Missile WarTo Love AgainThe WanderersVisions of EightThe Inugami FamilyQueen BeePhoenixThe House of HangingAncient CityLonely HeartThe Makioka SistersPrincess from the MoonThe Return of Monjirō Kogarashi47 RoninDora-heitaThe InugamisJapanese submissionAcademy AwardBest International Feature FilmRashomonGate of HellThe Ballad of NarayamaLate AutumnImmortal LoveTwin Sisters of KyotoWoman in the DunesKwaidanLake of TearsPortrait of ChiekoThe Sands of KurobeProfound Desires of the GodsThe Scandalous Adventures of BuraikanDodes'ka-denUnder the Flag of the Rising SunCoup d'ÉtatThe FossilSandakan No. 8Mount HakkodaEmpire of PassionGassanKagemushaMuddy RiverOnimasa