The Burmese Harp (1956)
July, 1945: Japan's army is on the run. A platoon in Burma sings to keep its spirit up. Inspiration comes from their self-taught lute player... (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Kon Ichikawa
Written By: Natto Wada, Michio Takeyama
Starring: Rentarô Mikuni, Jun Hamamura, Kô Nishimura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tomio Aoki, Yûnosuke Itô, Taketoshi Naitô, Shôji Yasui, Tokuhei Miyahara, Shunji Kasuga, Hiroshi Hijikata, Norikatsu Hanamura
Franchise: The Burmese Harp
AKA: Biruma no tategoto
Country: Japan
Where to Stream
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The Burmese Harp belongs to 52 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)
2. Criterion Collection (collaborative: moderated by caffe - 167 stars)
3. Best of criticker: Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 26 stars)
4. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
5. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)
6. World War 2 (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 16 stars)
7. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
8. Doubling The Canon (collaborative - 13 stars)
9. Harvard University's Suggested Film Viewing List: Narrative Films (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 12 stars)
10. films101.com's 5 star films (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 11 stars)
11. International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 11 stars)
12. Criticker top 250 (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 11 stars)
13. Best Foreign Film Oscar Nominees (collaborative: moderated by snallygaster - 8 stars)
14. 1940s period film (collaborative: moderated by djross - 7 stars)
15. Masters of Cinema (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 6 stars)
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| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 2 |  |
Nathan S | 3 45th |
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Beautiful and compassionate, though less devastating than Ichikawa's later Fires on the Plain.
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Farzan | 94 95th |
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One of the best Anti War films of all time. Ichikawa's direction is absolutely incredible. The shots of Burma and the imagery contained in this is not something I will soon forget. The performance from the Mizushima character was fantastic. This, to me, is one of the best depictions of a soldier during, and after the war. Sure he may not have gone gun running insane, but thats what was so touching about the Burmese Harp, is the aftermath of war, and the brotherhood shared even after death.
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frederic_g54 | 10 97th |
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A remarkable and profoundly humane achievement. Although you'll find some nice shots throughout, Ichikawa keeps his lens focused on his actors, capturing every bit of the sorrow, guilt but also happyness, while maintaining its subtlety, energy and depth throughout. Mizushima is one of the great characters of cinema, he deals with the aftermath and doesn't just walk away from his responsibilities. A masterful and selfless anti-war film, highly recommended !!!
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| 2 |  |
Jeb | 98 93rd |
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Has many of the typical themes to a Ichikawa movie, but this is somewhat more inventive than his other films. Features a more subtle and focused approach, containing gorgeous shots of Burma and a more effective premise. Powerful filmmaking.
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| 1 |  |
MartinTeller | 91 95th |
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I was hoping for something more inventive from Ichikawa, but that's not to say that it isn't a wonderful work. Not so much as anti-war film as it simply mourns the consequences. Death and the rituals of putting the dead to rest are themes that are repeated throughout, from different viewpoints. Death connects all of the involved parties, as does music, especially the harp music that serves not only as a beautiful soundtrack, but also a major plot device. Very moving and expertly crafted.
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Magb | 95 94th |
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The Burmese Harp is an excellent movie, but it's not quite as effective as Fires on the Plain. It takes a somewhat more relaxed approach to the aftermath of WW2, although many of the themes are the same. The use of music as a plot device was beautiful.
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Optimus_mike | 95 96th |
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Easily now one of the best antiwar films I have ever seen, and the best from Japan. Apparently many aspects of the film were metaphors and references to the Buddhist religion, and while admittedly I know nothing of Buddha's teachings one could sense much symbolism within in the film. The direction was top notch with some excellent usage of shadows, and had alot of humanity in it. Great music and great characters the only thing holding it back was some odd editing choices but still excellent.
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Tds4a | 3 80th |
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A war film set in the immediate aftermath of surrender, allowing the story to consider war themes without showing any battles. That was refreshing. Mizushima's journey is fascinating, particularly the heart-rending scene where he walks through the not-quite-empty battlefields.
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randori | 70 54th |
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ii.dunya savasi sonu. burma'da ingilizlere teslim olan japon birligi. japon erlerden biri ekstra bir gorev alip birliginden ayrilir. tek basinayken savasin sonuclarini gormesiyle caldigi budist rahibin kiyafetlerini ruhen de doldurmaya baslar. omuzunda papagan, elinde arpiyla nirvanaya dogru ilerler.
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| Average Percentile 75.04% from 410 Ratings |  |