Fantastic examination of humanism and the difficult choices one often has to make contrasting ideals with harsh reality. With the setting it would be really easy for such a film to be heavyhanded, but the material is handled very deftly and never seems contrived. This allows the weight of the actions and inaction to really have an effect. Superb performances and cinematography are just icing.

Kobayashi feels completely at home with this material, letting the horrors of war far from the front line unfurl slowly but surely. Nakadai has his work cut out for him, playing something closer to a walking ideology than a human being, but he pulls it off. The film has a quiet majesty that is irresistible.

Defying huge potential for being a dry bore (on which Kobayashi would deliver in part III), the first third of his magnum opus is thoroughly entertaining and quite involving. The acting style is restrained, thankfully, and Nakadai does a good job as Kaji, in many an intense close-up of the tormented looks on his face when having to compromise his humanistic ideals. The photography is absolutely outstanding, many scenes unforgettable (train unloading, escape attempt, execution). Great.

Meet Kaji. Kaji is a pacifist humanist wanker, who jumps at the chance of serving as a manager in a prison camp, instead of going to the front lines. There his humanist convictions are constantly tested against the fascist Japanese rulership. With beautiful shots (loved the zombie horde) and a rather brisk pacing, Kobayashi proposes that freedom, humanism and justice are ideals that mankind can only hope to approximate, although the alternative makes it well worth the reach. A Good movie.

Fine film on how humanism has it's problems during wartime and surely an important film within it's Japanese cultural context. The characters are nuanced and the shots mostly beautiful.

This, the first act of the 9 hours long Japanese epic, is a nuanced, engaging and beautifully crafted tragedy, that masterfully deconstructs humanism and human nature, while allowing for the ambiguity of character traits to make it feel more real and less preachy. On top of that its also an interesting and soul-searching insight in Japanese history and culture.

Impressive and beautiful crafted. As in Kobayashi's "Harakiri" we are faced with some tough moral and existential questions when the humanistic ideals of the pacifist Kaji are constantly put to the test during the dehumanising hardship of war. Despite some dull moments it packs a powerfull emotional punch, especially in this first act of the 9 hour epic.

Giving the same score & review for each part, because it's really one long movie that only works if viewed together in sequence.

"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." - Matthew Connolly

Great movie, but difficult subject matter, so be in the right mood for it.

We are introduced to Kaji, a man of strong, sympathetic, but somewhat naive convictions. He is placed in that typical Kobayashi predicament of personal justice pitted against institutionalized corruption. There is a remarkable balance struck between individual tragedy and social indictment. Kobayashi always liked framing his characters in architecture, but throughout this trilogy he uses landscapes to astonishing effect.

I have heard it said -- I think it was in _A Voyage to Italy_ -- that _Germany Year Zero_ was made as a prayer to the world. That is, a beseechment that not *all* Germans were monsters, and a testament that some people tried to stop what was happening. God only knows how something this wildly uncommercial ever managed to get made (the IMDb "Trivia" pages on this trilogy are pretty bare... {to be continued in reviewspace of _Human Condition II_}

A very balanced, and surprisingly restrained, look at the human consequences of war and the disillusionment suffered by pacifists such as Kaji, the main character. The film takes its time (it'd be hard for any 200 min. movie not to) and manages to tackle the desolation and corruption of a labor camp from all angles - it can drag early, but it all comes together to great effect towards the end and packs a powerful emotional punch. And you can always count on Kobayashi for great photography.

My score is for all three parts combined.

Somehow I was expecting a different movie. At first melodrama was way too much for me. But I got used to it and movie settled in pow camp for further development. Kobayashi is a true master on his own right, especially his camerawork and acting direction is outstanding. 200 minutes well spent, on my way to rest of the trilogy.

More than a typical POW camp movie, as it's about a man on the outside. A lot of it, or perhaps most of it, is very depressing. It's all very well done, though.

A politically highly charged film with a great story, direction and performances.It is amazing how liberal the Japanese movies were back then in comparison to the western worlds where I dare say this film would have been heavily censored if not banned.

A bit melodramatic and taking its time, but it's a very powerful statement on the conflict between humanist ideals and wartime dehumanisation.

A truly great movie about war and humanism and futility. Excellent performances all over, and some majestic shots worthy of David Lean. My only complaint is that I got a bit confused about why certain people were doing certain things.