Ningen no joken I (The Human Condition I) (No Greater Love) (1958)

90% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
94% of users liked it
(626 ratings)

Originally titled Ningen No Joken, No Greater Love is the first of Japanese filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi's Human Condition trilogy. Drawing from his own experiences, Kobayashi weaves the tale of a Japanese pacifist, trying to get by as best he can during World War II. Tatsuya Nakadai plays the leading… More Originally titled Ningen No Joken, No Greater Love is the first of Japanese filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi's Human Condition trilogy. Drawing from his own experiences, Kobayashi weaves the tale of a Japanese pacifist, trying to get by as best he can during World War II. Tatsuya Nakadai plays the leading role of a mine supervisor, whose kindly treatment of POW laborers incurs the wrath of his superiors. As the war in the Pacific rages on, Japan begins suffering heavy losses and military humiliations, yet still Nakadai adheres to his principles. Ultimately overwhelmed by events, Nakadai is horribly mistreated by the powers-that-be, then ordered to don a uniform and fight for his country. Originally released at 200 minutes, No Greater Love was followed in 1961 by the first of two sequels, Road to Eternity (see entry 23819) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 3 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Masaki Kobayashi
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 15, 1959 Wide
On DVD: Sep 8, 2009

Critic Reviews

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
It's a richly rewarding visual and human experience in all its bleakness.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
In keeping with the grandeur of its title, The Human Condition is anything but modest in scope and ambition.
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice
Based on Jumpei Gomikawa's ambitious novel and seasoned with Kobayashi's own experiences, this overly melodramatic trilogy set in Japanese-occupied Manchuria depicts the dehumanizing brutality of war with on-the-nose pedantry, never subtext, and offers li
Paul Brenner, Filmcritic.com
it is still powerful and uncompromising, but it is also strident, tortuous, and hateful
Matthew Connolly, Slant Magazine
The Human Condition's ambition, empathy, and visual beauty reward those who choose to commit to its formidable length and uncompromising vision.
Matthew Connolly, Slant Magazine
It all sounds like a downer, and Human Condition is an indisputably solemn film. Yet it also possesses a restless vitality, with hard cuts juxtaposing abject brutality with pastoral tranquility and romantic longing.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi's landmark 1958-61 trilogy about a man's attempt to struggle with his humanity in an inhumane world is a rigorous but deeply rewarding viewing experience.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A masterpiece on all fronts.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Itâ(TM)s [star Tatsuya] Nakadai who makes this impressive yet flawed screed worth your time commitment.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
'Although it is set in the past, its universal themes of love, war, and man's struggle to understand his place in the world are as relevant today as they've ever been.'

Read all 10 critic reviews

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danny d

a 10 hour film made in six parts and released as three separate films from 1959-1961, the human condition is as ambitious as the title suggests, and it succeeds on every level. this is one of those rare times that the cliche term "sprawling epic" actually applies as this… More
a 10 hour film made in six parts and released as three separate films from 1959-1961, the human condition is as ambitious as the title suggests, and it succeeds on every level. this is one of those rare times that the cliche term "sprawling epic" actually applies as this film takes it place alongside "all quiet on the western front" as the greatest anti-war films in cinematic history. you really see the span of the human condition as kaji, played masterfully by tatsuya nakadai goes from the corporate office, to managing a labor camp, to being a common soldier, to marching across nations, to being a POW in a russian camp at the end of the war. the film never gets dull. seen as somewhat anti-japanese at the time of its release, it is now seen as a massive apology letter from japan to the rest of us of the guilt many of them feel over their involvement with germany in WW2. the film excels in cinematography and locations, the acting was amazing from each of the many performers that show up at different stages in the film, and kobayashi's directing should be seen as one of the greatest directorial successes of all time. so much more could be said, but it just needs to be seen to be understood.
Saskia D

This film by Masaki Kobayashi is a masterpiece!! You'll get to see the worst and best of people during times of war in a Manchurian Prison Camp. Kaji, played by Nakadai, is trying to prove that if you treat prisoners well and take good care of them, they will work for you. The… More
This film by Masaki Kobayashi is a masterpiece!! You'll get to see the worst and best of people during times of war in a Manchurian Prison Camp. Kaji, played by Nakadai, is trying to prove that if you treat prisoners well and take good care of them, they will work for you. The constant dilemma's he's faced with, and the painful paradox of a human approach when you're faced with people who are imprisoned against their will and have to work and live behind a wired fence is very tangible. He not only has to win the prisoners trust, he also has to prove himself to his superiors and 'colleagues', and the latter are committed to giving him a hard time. I can't wait to see the other two parts!
Walter M

"The Human Condition" starts at the Gate of Hope and Peace in occupied Manchuria during World War II. Kaji(Tatsuya Nakadai) knows his being called up to the armed forces is likely to be a death sentence and does not want Machiko(Michiyo Aratama), who followed him there, to… More
"The Human Condition" starts at the Gate of Hope and Peace in occupied Manchuria during World War II. Kaji(Tatsuya Nakadai) knows his being called up to the armed forces is likely to be a death sentence and does not want Machiko(Michiyo Aratama), who followed him there, to be left a widow. She does not care. She just wants to be with him. By contrast, his pal Kageyama(Keiji Sada) just regrets not having knocked anybody up before being called up. But Kaji gets a reprieve of sorts when a manager likes his report, despite the perceived Communist influences, and assigns him to be the labor supervisor in a remote mine, deferring his enlistment and allowing him to marry Michiko. "The Human Condition" is a powerful, bleak and epic(6 parts, 10 hours - perfect for a long train ride) view of war, that does give into melodrama on rare occasion. What is of central interest is the power wielded by those holding the gun(or in this case, a sword) that is not only used against those who are being occupied but also those seen as being weak in the armed forces of the time, while others seek to profit from such abject misery. At the same time, the movie does not in the least avoid depicting the subject of human slavery. Kaji is not totally naive.(The height of which comes late in the movie.) He is aware of the chances of survival but most of what he knows is from books which cannot prepare him for the inhumanity he will face. Kaji hopes to transfer some of this knowledge to the real world to make it a more humane place, even in war, but against such dangerous odds, all he can do is win small victories, as everybody is waiting for the inevitability of the end of the war.