The Burmese Harp
The Burmese Harp
Biruma no tategoto | Kon Ichikawa, 1956
Japan | Japanese with English subtitles | Format: 35mm | 115 minutes
With The Burmese Harp, Kon Ichikawa made one of his best films at Nikkatsu and one of his best-known internationally: a stirring, beautifully shot antiwar story about a Japanese soldier after British victory in Burma. Separated from his comrades in the chaotic aftermath, harp-playing Corporal Mizushima (Shoji Yasui) finds himself in a frightening new world. As Mizushima finds his bearings in the ravaged landscape, Ichikawa’s film becomes a subtle spiritual journey inflected by Buddhism. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture.
