The Burmese Harp
ビルマの竪琴
Japan • 1956
Director
#379Criterion Collection →Synopsis
An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. THE BURMESE HARP is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema’s most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan’s wartime legacy.
Synopsis
An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. THE BURMESE HARP is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema’s most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan’s wartime legacy.
Criterion Closet Pick
(1)
Credits
Crew
DirectorKon Ichikawa
WriterNatto Wada
CinematographerMinoru Yokoyama
ComposerAkira Ifukube
EditorMasanori Tsujii
ProducerMasayuki Takaki