Two Interesting Asian Films about WWII

[joea]

I have not seen these films but plan to-they look excellent.

First, who said no Japanese know anything about the horrors their military inflicted during the war?

The Human Condition:

http://www.amazon.ca/Human-Condition-Criterion-Collection/dp/B0026VBOJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1349097136&sr=1-1


Masaki Kobayashi***8217;s mammoth humanist drama is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema. Originally filmed and released in three parts, the nine-and-a-half-hour The Human Condition (Ningen no joken), adapted from Junpei Gomikawa***8217;s six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji (handsome Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet POW. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals an impediment rather than an advantage. A raw indictment of its nation***8217;s wartime mentality as well as a personal existential tragedy, Kobayashi***8217;s riveting, gorgeously filmed epic is novelistic cinema at its best. A user review:

Masaki Kobayashi, the acclaimed director of Japanese classics such as "HARA-KIRI" and "Samurai Rebellion" has always made a powerful stance against established authority. He made a scathing indictment of the "Code of Bushido" and criticized the way samurai clans have treated its retainers and their families. Kobayashi's "THE HUMAN CONDITION" is his fearless indictment of the war itself that criticizes established authority. Based on the novel by Jumpei Gomikawa, this film trilogy is arguably Kobayashi's finest films, its strong existential themes, the manner of which it exposes the aspects of good and evil, and the thin line between morality and immorality is truly masterful. The trilogy focuses on the exploits of Kaji during World War II. Kaji's development as a man, as a husband, as a soldier, and later as a prisoner of war is brought to exposition by Masaki Kobayashi.Nine hours though.

Second An interesting Korean film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606384/

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/507281.html

Inspired by a true story. Jun Shik works for Tatsuo's grandfather's farm while Korea is colonized by Japan, but he has a dream to participate in Tokyo Olympics as a marathon runner. Tatsuo also aims to become a marathon runner, so the two are in rivalry. But war breaks out and they both are forced to enlist in the army. Tatsuo becomes the head of defense in Jun Shik's unit and he devises a scheme but fails. Jun Shik and Tatsuo are captured by the Soviets. They run away but soon are captured by Germans and forced to separate. In 1944, they meet again at the shores of Normandy.Holy cow!!!

Anyone seen either of these films? Any other interesting films on WWII or any other war from an unusual (ie. non-Hollywood) angle?

[Eisenwurst]

Hi Joea. I haven't seen these films, but you ask about non hollywood good war films. I can think of a few.
Firstly "The Admiral"-Russian film that came out just a couple of years ago, about Admiral Koltchak the Russo-Japanese war hero. Focussing on his life during WW1 and the Russian Civil War when he was White Russian leader. Great, dignified film, and very moving.
Secondly, "The Red Baron" the German film of 2008 about guess who. I found it very exciting but the sound levels were a bit all over the place.
Thirdly another Russian film, "Alexander Nevsky" - A bit out of our period here but God what a film.
"Das Boot" of course.
And a "war" film that often gets overlooked, "Viva Maria" with Bridget Bardot. Doesn't take itself seriously and is a lot of fun to watch.
They're the only ones that come to mind just now, but I do recommend them, especially the last one.
Cheers.
P.S. Just remembered "Zulu" truly one of the Great's.

[nikimcbee]

"The Admiral"-
Own it. I love the opening scene of the movie.

"Alexander Nevsky"

:rock::rock::rock:Great film. I have the enhanced soundtrack.

I didn't like the Red Baron. One, the dude playing the Red Baron looked too much like this guy:
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQiQ3KvX14Rhfc1x_q5x4gEURRHoD_Ud rz5pb4kRwU03_PZFRvs

And his character was too whiney:down:. It just proved to me that the Germans were just as capabale of making a movie as silly as Flyboys:dead:.

[nikimcbee]

@Joe, have you seen the Yamato movie?

[August]

This was a good movie although very dark.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Firesontheplainposter.jpg

[Stealhead]

This was a good movie although very dark.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Firesontheplainposter.jpg


Never seen this one but I goggled it... sounds very interesting.Thanks.

[Takeda Shingen]

Fires on the Plain is a brilliant film in the way that The Road is a brilliant novel. Both are fantastic works about humanity in a nutshell. Both are also works that you don't 'enjoy' viewing or reading.

[JU_88]

Anyone remember a WW2 film about a German Tank crew? I think it was made around the 80s or so, heres the thing, it wasnt actually a German Movie, im 99% sure it was American made, as were the actors and the language & accents.. (already sounds a bit dodgy doesnt it?)
Saw it when I was a kid, so I cant remember if it was any good or a if was turkey soup.
Certainly not a hollywood flick as objective war movies were pretty rare back then, unless you were Oliver bloody Stone.
Any clue?

[JU_88]

Found it! Wheels of Terror 1988
And it looks like it was a big pile of steaming poo - sorry for getting anyones hopes up :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SybTzNL0lQ

[August]

I prefer to hear foreign movies in the original language and read subtitles.
Voice overs always sound kind of hokey to me.

[JU_88]

I prefer to hear foreign movies in the original language and read subtitles.
Voice overs always sound kind of hokey to me.

I know what you mean, but I think in this case the language was the least of the flims problems, American sounding Germans would have been quite forgivable if the flim is had actually been good. :D

[Cybermat47]

I didn't like the Red Baron. One, the dude playing the Red Baron looked too much like this guy:
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQiQ3KvX14Rhfc1x_q5x4gEURRHoD_Ud rz5pb4kRwU03_PZFRvs

And his character was too whiney:down:. It just proved to me that the Germans were just as capabale of making a movie as silly as Flyboys:dead:.

I've heard of that movie. Apparently ther were riots in Berlin at it's German premiere. No joke.
Here's one line from the movie:Aim at the machine, not the man.
Here's what von Richtofen Actually said:Aim for the gunner. once you have taken care of him, you can take out the pilot.

I hate it when they misrepresent war heroes.

[TwoGamers]

Subtitles all the way!
Hmm good WW2 movies well theres the Guns of Navarone and it's sequel Force 10 from Navarone it's not bad either.

[nikimcbee]

I prefer to hear foreign movies in the original language and read subtitles.
Voice overs always sound kind of hokey to me.
This.

[August]

Letters from Iwo Jima was pretty good too. Better imo than Flags of our Fathers (I hate flashback movies).

I've also recently watched a couple Jackie Chan war movies that were pretty good and I recommend them.

1911 an engrossing story based on the revolution that founded the Republic of China. I thought it was a very good look at a rather obscure (to us) time in Chinese history. Apparently this was a labor of love for Chan too, it being his 100th movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772230/

Little Big Soldier. A fictional story of an old soldier, the only survivor of his entire army who captures an enemy general and tries to take him back to his home kingdom for a reward.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1319718/

I liked them both although the constant action and movement that is naturally found in Jackie Chan movies makes it a bit hard to keep up with the subtitles. :)

[nikimcbee]

Yamato trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4QWqDTCk2A

I can't find any of the movie's battle scenes. Youtube must have removed them.:shifty:

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

The Yamato film looks interesting, and August your post about 1911 reminded of the of the movie The Sand Pebbles which takes place in China in 1926. From what I remeber of it, it was a good movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sand_Pebbles_(film)

Where Eagles Dare was an interesting movie as where the Navarone movies and they where novels written by the same person!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_MacLean:yep:

[Oberon]

Yamato trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4QWqDTCk2A

I can't find any of the movie's battle scenes. Youtube must have removed them.:shifty:

The battle scene from Yamato (the only part of the film I've seen) are incredibly impressive. Ah, here we are...in Vietnamese? :doh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1TWBW8HEM

This film also looks quite good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNhBDJmZcVo


Also, if you're willing to look at anime, Zipang is a good series, here's a clip from it, unfortunately even the Americans talk Japanese in Zipang, but it's still pretty good and faithful to procedure and technology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A6T_rrUFIg

[Eisenwurst]

Another good "non-hollywood" film is "The battle of the river plate", about the Graf Spee.
Is the "Battle of Britain" a Hollywood film? Any way I like it not only because of the planes etc, but the brief (pun intended) scene with Suzannah York in a man's shirt, cotton knickers, and stockings/suspenders. Hubba hubba.
In defence of "The Red Baron" I feel that if there hadn't have been Macaulay Culkin the film would have been better appreciated and the casting people did get it right.
The Baron died almost a century ago and anyone that personally knew him has been dead for generations. He was an Aristocrat born of a Noble Family with all that that entailed. If it wasn't for the war he would probably have had an arranged marriage. He was Chivalrous and very well mannered, the norm for people of his class in those days. Nowadays these qualities seem to be frowned upon.
In the film the character comes across as possibly "batting for the other team", but from reading a few of his biographies I still don't know or care.
What is true is that he had Balls and Guts. The Kaiser once made some remark about if he had any girlfriends, and the Baron fobbed it off. Then later the Baron had the Balls to tell the Kaiser to his face that he was sick of killing men and wanted to retire. Hardly wimpish at all.
He continued to fly after he'd been shot in the head, was blind in one eye, and had a headwound that wouldn't heal. All this was sympathetically portrayed in the film.
Also to the film's credit they paid tribute to the many Jewish airmen/soldiers that fought for Germany. The Jewish pilot in the movie was a "top bloke".
The poor reception the film received was probably due to the Baron not being depicted as a two fisted hard drinking womaniser.
He was a great man and I feel the movie's depiction was accurate, but unfortunately there's the immediate association with Macaulay Culkin based purely on appearance.
Your Shout.

[soopaman2]

Not like any other nation is exempt from such self fellatio.

Tora Tora Tora.

"Get the (curse) out of my office." I cheered at the TV. Yet felt the pain and regret in the Japanese diplomat, for his percieved (not his fault) dishonor.

One of the few fair war movies we ever made, the rest of our crap is dripping full of American exceptionalism, and Top Gun type ass slapping.

OK maybe Band of Brothers is exempt, but technically it isn't a movie.

Edit: I am giving a pass to Platoon as well. Very few American film makers are willing to expose perhaps some of our guys might have made mistakes in the passion of battle (but were still good men), and outright attack our government, like Platoon did.

(my apologies in advance, I ticked off a few Vietnam vets saying that on other boards/ in real life)
Considering it was made in cold war uber patriotic times (when America was supposed to be flawless), it was a great film.

[joea]

@Joe, have you seen the Yamato movie?
No. :shifty: Hard to get here. I always try the local shops, better try Amazon I guess. :)

[Sailor Steve]

The battle scene from Yamato (the only part of the film I've seen) are incredibly impressive.
Very nicely done. I was impressed that they showed the main battery firing. The Japanese actually manufactured an 18" AA shell, not that it did much good.

I'll be ordering it soon.