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The Sun

Play trailer Poster for The Sun 2005 1h 55m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Emperor Hirohito (Issei Ogata) of Japan meets with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1945.
The Sun

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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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Keith Uhlich Time Out Sokurov, who also acted as director of photography, films the character and his surroundings with the eye of a newly arrived visitor to another world. Rated: 5/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Wesley Morris Boston Globe 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. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 1, 2010 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com A brilliant film. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 24, 2020 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture An astounding work of intimate detail that should not be missed. Rated: 4/5 Oct 16, 2019 Full Review Paul Dale The List 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. Rated: 4/5 Apr 27, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Virgo V 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. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review Leaburn O This film was good 👍🏼 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Oddly hypnotic and fascinating. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member A heavyweight masterpiece in a lightweight digital form. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Sokurov at his most personal, beautiful and haunting. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting piece of story or history ?! Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review 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
RAI Cinema, Istituto Luce Cinecittà
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 55m