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Arrow Films
One of the towering masterpieces of Japanese and world cinema, this three-part war epic has rarely been seen in the UK, at least partly because of its dauntingly gargantuan nine hour length. Director Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri) was attracted to Junpei Gomikawa s source novel because he recognised himself in the character of the protagonist Kaji, an ardent pacifist who came of age during the aggressively militaristic 1930s and 40s.
In part one, No Greater Love, Kaji is relocated to a mine-supervising job in Manchuria, where he is horrified by the use of forced labour. Part two, Road to Eternity, sees him conscripted into the Japanese army and forced to fight in the name of an aggressively imperialist cause. Part three, A Soldier s Prayer, deals with the consequences of Japan s defeat, not least for Kaji himself.
Throughout, Kobayashi unflinchingly examines the psychological toll of appallingly complex decisions, where being morally right risks outcomes ranging from ostracism to savage beating to death. As Kaji, Tatsuya Nakadai (Sanjuro) is in virtually every scene, providing a rock-solid emotional anchor and a necessary one in Japan, where the film was hugely controversial for being openly critical of the nation s conduct during WWII. But it s this willingness to confront national taboos head-on that makes it such a lastingly powerful experience.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Japanese mono soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles
- Introduction to the film by critic Philip Kemp
- Selected-scene commentary by Philip Kemp
- Theatrical trailers
- Reversible sleeve featuring two choices of artwork by maarko phntm
- Arrow Academy
- 574 minutes
- 15
- English
- 1
- Arrow Academy
- Masaki Kobayashi
English
- 2018
- B
The Human Condition Trilogy Blu-ray
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Arrow Films
One of the towering masterpieces of Japanese and world cinema, this three-part war epic has rarely been seen in the UK, at least partly because of its dauntingly gargantuan nine hour length. Director Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri) was attracted to Junpei Gomikawa s source novel because he recognised himself in the character of the protagonist Kaji, an ardent pacifist who came of age during the aggressively militaristic 1930s and 40s.
In part one, No Greater Love, Kaji is relocated to a mine-supervising job in Manchuria, where he is horrified by the use of forced labour. Part two, Road to Eternity, sees him conscripted into the Japanese army and forced to fight in the name of an aggressively imperialist cause. Part three, A Soldier s Prayer, deals with the consequences of Japan s defeat, not least for Kaji himself.
Throughout, Kobayashi unflinchingly examines the psychological toll of appallingly complex decisions, where being morally right risks outcomes ranging from ostracism to savage beating to death. As Kaji, Tatsuya Nakadai (Sanjuro) is in virtually every scene, providing a rock-solid emotional anchor and a necessary one in Japan, where the film was hugely controversial for being openly critical of the nation s conduct during WWII. But it s this willingness to confront national taboos head-on that makes it such a lastingly powerful experience.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Japanese mono soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles
- Introduction to the film by critic Philip Kemp
- Selected-scene commentary by Philip Kemp
- Theatrical trailers
- Reversible sleeve featuring two choices of artwork by maarko phntm
- Arrow Academy
- 574 minutes
- 15
- English
- 1
- Arrow Academy
- Masaki Kobayashi
English
- 2018
- B
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
Where reviews refer to foods or cosmetic products, results may vary from person to person. Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of The Hut Group.
Great presentations by Arrow of the films.
The films often suffer in places due to pacing.
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Kobayashi's Epic Masterpiece
I'll start off by saying this is probably one of the best anti-war films ever made and I'm thankful it got a very solid blu-ray transfer. The picture looks great, there are some expected signs of age but nothing that ever bothered me. Arrow lets you choose to watch the film in 6 parts as it was released in Japan which lets you break the epic runtime into normal 90ish minute chunks. I loved Harakiri and Kwaidan by Kobayashi so I decided to blind buy this and I'm extremely happy that I did. Kobayashi's films often critique the status quo and put decent people in direct conflict with a unjust system. The Human Condition takes this to the extreme as we follow an idealistic socialist trying to live his values in a fascist system that makes it impossible. The film is set towards the end of WWII but it's more of a sprawling drama than a war film. The conflict and drama come from watching the protagonist constantly struggle with moral choices that will lead to punishment or immoral choices that follow the path of least resistance. It's a harrowing look an not only the horrors of war but the psychological toll of trying to live a life of virtue in a corrupt system. This film isn't going to be for everyone but it's a must see if you're a cinephile with a passion for Japanese movies, epics, or war dramas.
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