Fires of the Plain (Nobi) (1959)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Cindy I

  
  A brutal look at the last days of the second World War for a group of Japanese soldiers in the Philippines. Our protagonist is a TB-infected soldier who the hospital won't admit because he isn't sick enough, as he 'can still walk". He is run out of his unit because… More
  A brutal look at the last days of the second World War for a group of Japanese soldiers in the Philippines. Our protagonist is a TB-infected soldier who the hospital won't admit because he isn't sick enough, as he 'can still walk". He is run out of his unit because he is eating valuable food -- mostly yams -- and not able to contribute to gathering it. He then meets up with a variety of soldiers who aren't much better off than he is. He witnesses illnesses, cruelty, starvation and even cannibalism in the end. The horrifying events shown are even more shocking in that the story is based on true-life, a book written by a soldier who witnessed all this and probably more. The only ising that keeps me from giving this a higher rating is the first few minutes of the film. Our protagonist is standing at attention while he is reamed out by his commander. This reaming-out is basically exposition of the story. I would have liked it more had the action been played out rather than just explained. But other than that, a quality film from beginning to end.

• danny d

  
  another brilliant film from the great kon ichikawa. fires of the plain deals with taboo subjetcs for japanese culture such as the surrender of soldiers in the time of war and cannabalism, but there is a sense of honesty and reality in the portrayal of these things. the camera work… More
  another brilliant film from the great kon ichikawa. fires of the plain deals with taboo subjetcs for japanese culture such as the surrender of soldiers in the time of war and cannabalism, but there is a sense of honesty and reality in the portrayal of these things. the camera work and acting were perfect, and although the story hit a wall for about 20 minutes in the middle, it picked back up and ended with excellence. beautiful anti-war film.

• Tim S

  
  Beautifully shot, but disturbing stuff here. This is how war movies should be made.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Fires on the Plain", it is February 1945 and things are going disastrously bad for the Japanese army in the Philippines, having lost an enormous amount of men in combat. And the return of PFC Tamura(Eiji Funakoshi) from the hospital after three days… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Fires on the Plain", it is February 1945 and things are going disastrously bad for the Japanese army in the Philippines, having lost an enormous amount of men in combat. And the return of PFC Tamura(Eiji Funakoshi) from the hospital after three days treatment for tuberculosis is not helping matters for there is little food left and the men are digging unnecessary air defense trenches with pans and other improvisatory tools just to keep busy. He is ordered to return to the hospital, and if they don't keep him this time, he is ordered to use his handgrenade on himself.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Fires on the Plain" is a harrowing and bleak movie about the dehumanizing effects of war which is helped from being told from the vantage point of a single ordinary soldier. It is unique for a war movie in that the outcome is not in doubt. The battle has already been fought and now all that matters is survival at any cost.[/font]