The Human Condition will crush you

Onkel Neal · 10-12-09, 11:15 PM

Masaki Kobayashi's The Human Condition will crush you.

Yeah, I saw this piece a few weeks back and was intruigued, so I netflicked the three films. Glad I did, it was a really powerful film, very interestingly told from the Japanese perspective. All total this thing is 10 hours long, it took me three weeks to watch it all, but this is one of those experiences like Das Boot that leaves an impression on you.

Quote:

Like a stinging rebuke to Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, this week the Criterion Collection releases a three-disc set of Masaki Kobayashi's 1959 World War II masterpiece, The Human Condition. Deep where Basterds is shallow, expansive where Basterds is puny, and profound where Basterds is glib, Kobayashi's humanist triumph is finally getting the Western exposure it deserves. Previously unavailable in the United States, a restored version was screened last year at New York City's Film Forum and proved to be so popular that it was brought back for a return engagement. Not bad for a movie that is nine-and-a-half hours long (spread over three films) and so monumentally painful to watch that it stands as the Grand Canyon of despair.

10-12-09, 11:27 PM

The human condition crushes me almost daily. Thanks for the reminder.

MothBalls · 10-13-09, 01:46 AM

Had a friend tell me about this the other day. She told me it was quite a powerful story, and compared it to Schlinder's List, just better. Guess I'll have to queue it up and check it out.

SS107.9MHz · 10-13-09, 09:53 AM

Didn' knew these! Domo!

Skybird · 10-13-09, 10:13 AM

Never heared of it, but it sounds somewhat depressing, like Italian Neorealism a la La Strada...?! Not that that cannot be carthatic, but too much of it (10 hours) switches off the carthatic function and just leaves the depression in effect.

Not sure I want that, at least not 10 hours long.

FIREWALL · 10-13-09, 11:30 AM

I'll wait for the "Directors Cut" version.

10-13-09, 09:53 AM	#4
SS107.9MHz Lieutenant Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Lat.40º12'82"N, Long.8º85'48"W, Portugal Posts: 256 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Didn' knew these! Domo! __________________ Rádio Universidade de Coimbra 107.9 FM, 26 Years Of Free Radio, http://www.ruc.pt/

10-13-09, 10:13 AM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,602 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Never heared of it, but it sounds somewhat depressing, like Italian Neorealism a la La Strada...?! Not that that cannot be carthatic, but too much of it (10 hours) switches off the carthatic function and just leaves the depression in effect. Not sure I want that, at least not 10 hours long. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

10-13-09, 11:30 AM	#6
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	I'll wait for the "Directors Cut" version. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

10-12-09, 11:27 PM	#2
CastleBravo Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	The human condition crushes me almost daily. Thanks for the reminder.

10-13-09, 01:46 AM	#3
MothBalls Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,012 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Had a friend tell me about this the other day. She told me it was quite a powerful story, and compared it to Schlinder's List, just better. Guess I'll have to queue it up and check it out.