Biruma no Tategoto (The Burmese Harp) (1956)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Little too moralizing and sentimental for my tastes. Some nice compositions though...

• Lucas M

  
  A beautiful and moving film, Biruma no Tategoto (The Burmese Harp) is a terrific work by Mr. Ichikawa. With unforgettable actings, just like the screenplay and photography, the movie is an obligatory art film, that presents a powerful antiwar message. Fresh.

• Jan Marc M

  
  A Kon Ichikawa work charged with sincerity and depth, The Burmese Harp explores the fraternal relationship in a brethren of World War II Japanese soldiers. Passionate. Melodious. Spiritual. Powerful. Enlightened.

• Randy T

  
  In order to wage war, in order for human beings to kill other human beings on a massive scale, there must be some rationalization. Historically, we, as warriors, create in our minds a caricature of those we call our enemies. It's a phenomenon that's universal and… More
  In order to wage war, in order for human beings to kill other human beings on a massive scale, there must be some rationalization. Historically, we, as warriors, create in our minds a caricature of those we call our enemies. It's a phenomenon that's universal and cross-cultural. We see those who oppose us as less than human, as men who don't laugh, men who don't shed tears, men who are essentially evil. In this manner they become non-people. In this manner we need not have sympathy or guilt when we destroy them. <i>The Burmese Harp</i>, a product of post-war Japan released in 1956, breaks down this wall of propaganda and reminds us of the toll that war takes on the souls of men. Its been called an "anti-war" film but I'm not so sure that was foremost in the minds of those who brought this story to the screen. It seems, in retrospect, to be more of a soldier's portrait that has been stripped of its patriotic facade. Whatever their intent, the film makers have given us an under-rated gem that should not be missed.

• Lanning :

  
  A very good anti-war movie coming from the generation of Japanese who were part of the World War II experience. Soldiers who die and are left on foreign soil, in any war and from any country, are sadly separated forever from their homelands. It takes a unique individual to pledge… More
  A very good anti-war movie coming from the generation of Japanese who were part of the World War II experience. Soldiers who die and are left on foreign soil, in any war and from any country, are sadly separated forever from their homelands. It takes a unique individual to pledge his or her life to remaining behind to find the dead and bury them. A wonderful performance by Shôji Yasui as the voluntary exile who must answer this higher calling of helping dead fellow-soldiers find a final resting place in Burma.

• danny d

  
  one of the most beautiful and powerful films ever made. mizushima is a heroic character yet tragic at the same time. the film could have used another 20 minutes to flush out more of the introductory relationships that the protagonist had with his fellow soldiers, but ichikawa… More
  one of the most beautiful and powerful films ever made. mizushima is a heroic character yet tragic at the same time. the film could have used another 20 minutes to flush out more of the introductory relationships that the protagonist had with his fellow soldiers, but ichikawa directs well enough to give us enough of the story for it to profoundly impact the audience. this films shows the emptyness of the loss of life and holds as one of the greatest war films of all time.

• Luke B

  
  The Burmese Harp tells the story of a young soldier who finally realises the atrocities of war. The film is rather powerful in it's depictions of dead soldiers. Where other films show the violence of battle, here we see lifeless bodies piled on top of each other. With one soldier… More
  The Burmese Harp tells the story of a young soldier who finally realises the atrocities of war. The film is rather powerful in it's depictions of dead soldiers. Where other films show the violence of battle, here we see lifeless bodies piled on top of each other. With one soldier being alone it takes these horrific sights out of their war movie context. It's a story of how war can change a man and how, perhaps, no soldier can really "go home". The music is absolutely stunning, making an impact from the first frame. It's also beautifully shot and captures some unforgettable images of Burma. The sentimental touches bring it down as do a number of "spelling it out" lines of dialogue.

• Eric B

  
  Certainly, "The Burmese Harp" has a powerful premise. A small Japanese squad is stranded in Burma at the end of World War II. Now that Japan has officially surrendered, the men only want to return home. But one soldier stays behind, piously devoting himself to burying the… More
  Certainly, "The Burmese Harp" has a powerful premise. A small Japanese squad is stranded in Burma at the end of World War II. Now that Japan has officially surrendered, the men only want to return home. But one soldier stays behind, piously devoting himself to burying the Japanese corpses that litter the land. So far, so good. But the execution of this story is surprisingly mawkish -- an unusual flaw considering that, if anything, Japanese movie characters tend to be too stoic. The problems begin with the music -- this delicate troop of choirboys loves nothing more than to burst into song. Naturally, their solemn, traditional hymns are delivered with perfect pitch and studio acoustics. The songs only seem cornier and more implausible as the film continues -- to give an idea of the script's subtlety, the most repeated tune is "Home, Sweet Home." There's even a second squad who turns up with a hidden talent for choral arrangements. Yup, it's a sing-off. The weepy sentimentality is further upped by the overuse of talking parrots to convey heartfelt messages, plus the unlikelihood of soldiers in a prison camp being concerned with almost nothing except the fate of their one separated friend. It's all rather heavy-handed -- I found myself thinking of the preachier pacifist episodes of "The Twilight Zone." If you can filter the above out of your experience and just focus on the philosophical journey of the wayward soldier Mizushima, "The Burmese Harp" holds its own as an affecting anti-war film.

• William G

  
  Somber Japanese WWII drama is sometimes too eager to be anti-war.

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