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The Sun

Play trailer Poster for The Sun 2005 1h 55m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 39 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Emperor Hirohito (Issei Ogata) of Japan meets with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1945.
The Sun

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Certainly not for the impatient, Aleksandr Sokurov's deliberately paced look at Hirohito in the waning days of World War II is both enlightening and admirable in its restraint.

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Critics Reviews

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Wesley Morris Boston Globe 04/01/2010
3.5/4
Working from Yuri Arabov and Jeremy Noble's script, Sokurov has a wonderful time not simply with Hirohito and history, but with his filmmaking, which can be oblique to the point of being stultifying. Here he plays with scale. Go to Full Review
Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle 03/25/2010
4/4
Alexander Sokurov's The Sun demands and rewards patience. Go to Full Review
Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness 12/07/2009
B+
Finds beauty, madness and outright bizarreness in the sight of a lost, slightly freakish man attempting to understand his altering reality. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/24/2020
3.5/4.0
A brilliant film. Go to Full Review
David Harris Spectrum Culture 10/16/2019
4/5
An astounding work of intimate detail that should not be missed. Go to Full Review
Paul Dale The List 04/27/2019
4/5
With its slow pace, weird stabs at slapstick, and odd stilted performances, The Sun may not be for everyone -- but in its very perverseness, it has to to be noted that this is a unique, mesmerizing, mad and brilliantly intuitive study. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Virgo V @vision Feb 3 The Sun (Solntse) is a 2005 Russian biographical film directed by Alexander Sokurov, depicting Japanese Emperor Hirohito during the final days of World War II. It is the third film in a trilogy by the Russian director, that includes Taurus, about Vladimir Lenin and Moloch, about Adolf Hitler. The film was entered in the 55th Berlin International Film Festival. It received generally positive reviews from critics aside form the negatives. Certainly not for the impatient, Aleksandr Sokurov's deliberately paced look at Hirohito in the waning days of World War II is both enlightening and admirable in its restraint. The Sun has flaws such as an awkward acting style, a claustrophobic setting and a portrayal of Hirohito that lacks subtlety. The actors seem uncomfortable in their roles, which makes the film feel awkward. Issei Ogata's portrayal of Hirohito is well-rehearsed but lacks subtlety. Emperor Showa's constant mouth movements are distracting and disgusting. Vision says the film was more of a comedy than a serious drama about one of the worst dictators in history. The sets are described as looking like U-Boat corridors, war-ravaged alien planets and doll house rooms. The film portrays Hirohito as an idiot-savant who doesn't seem to understand his role in Japanese imperialism. But wasn't Hirohito just like this? He was a marine biologist at best. The film is long-winded and awfully directed. Some say the film is "arty" and that those who like it are doing so to look trendy. See more Leaburn O 03/25/2023 This film was good 👍🏼 See more 01/12/2016 Oddly hypnotic and fascinating. See more 11/17/2014 A heavyweight masterpiece in a lightweight digital form. See more 10/05/2012 Sokurov at his most personal, beautiful and haunting. See more 12/24/2010 Interesting piece of story or history ?! See more Read all reviews
The Sun

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Movie Info

Synopsis Emperor Hirohito (Issei Ogata) of Japan meets with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1945.
Director
Aleksandr Sokurov
Producer
Marco Muller, Igor Kalyonov, Andrey Sigle
Screenwriter
Yuriy Arabov
Production Co
Istituto Luce Cinecittà, RAI Cinema
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 55m