The Burmese Harp

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dave s Once you get over the fact that it's poor military strategy to be singing choral music while trying to escape from the enemy (like, why tell them where you are?) in the jungles of Burma and then get over the additional hurdle of why a soldier would be waltzing around the battlefield with a harp, which seems to be unnecessary additional baggage, Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp is uniquely effective in demonstrating the horrible impact of war without actually showing much in the way of battle scenes. Filled with beautifully stark black and white images, it is a quiet and meditative story of friendship and loyalty that, despite its flaws in logic, packs a pretty decent punch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review david l Staggeringly cinematic thanks to an impressive score and incredible outdoors scenery, The Burmese Harp achieved true religious iconography in a lot of its imagery, particularly in its iconic second half. This is an indisputable Japanese classic that preaches an anti-war message along with wonderful spiritual themes of perseverance, compassion and strong will. The protagonist is the embodiment of humanity itself while his quest is nothing short of miraculous. It is an absolute masterpiece that has stood the test of time mostly due to its very artistic, calm and meditative approach, virtually unheard of for most WWII films. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L The Burmese Harp is pretty good, but it doesn't seem to live up to the high praise that is continuously heaped upon it. There is plenty of thoughtfulness put into Ichikawa's take on the Japanese soldier's experience in WWII (one of the first to be sympathetic), including reflections on the hyperpatriotic, self-destructive stance of Japanese nationalism and the unnecessary toll caused by the conflict. But at the same time, the film never touches on the suffering of the Burmese or the Japanese role in the conflict there (later condemned as war crimes) in much the same way that many American portrayals of Vietnam focus on the toll on their own soldiers almost exclusively. Additionally, sentimentality is everywhere; such as the use of parrots to communicate with a hopefully miraculously living comrade, or the early scene in which the Japanese forces learn of the end of the conflict after British and Indian troops literally join them in song as they walk into their camp. There is a touching camaraderie between Yasui's Mizshima and his estranged unit, the film doesn't shy away from the horrors of war without showing them explicitly, and the humanism is clear throughout the runtime, but The Burmese Harp is held back by its less realistic, wistful narrative elements. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/21 Full Review william d I'm not sure why The Burmese Harp is considered a classic of Japanese cinema. I found it a bit boring. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The Burmese Harp is about a group of Japanese soldiers who are forced to surrender at the end of WWII, but one of them separates from the group and is confronted with the deadly toll that war takes. It is a truly beautiful film that enthralled me so much that I’d call the experience hypnotic. It pulled me in from the first frames because they start with the amazing sound of the army troop singing, and that becomes a theme throughout the movie. As a singer myself I’ve always loved the sound of a choir joining together in song even when the lyrics are foreign. That drew me in to The Burmese Harp but the emotion of the story kept me riveted. This is a timeless tale that looks at how the human spirit can be impacted by the harsh realities of war. I loved the way this story was told, and found myself deeply impacted by the themes. When the movie was done, I sat in silence for a few minutes reflecting on what I just saw, and any film that gets me in such a contemplative state clearly did something right. Every aspect of The Burmese Harp was successful in my mind. The actors did a great job, particularly Shôji Yasui who has to go through the biggest emotional journey. I appreciated how Kon Ichikawa framed the shots and took advantage of the scenery and sets. It looked amazing from start to finish. One of the truly great aspects of the film is the music and how Akira Ifukube blended his score with the songs that are sung in the film. There are a number of quiet moments in The Burmese Harp with minimal dialogue, but the score carries you through those scenes and maintains the emotion the whole way through. I suppose if someone wasn’t as engaged by the story, they could find it all melodramatic and even boring. I feel sorry for those people. This is a powerful tale and it also tackles a side of war that isn’t addressed as much in film. It’s been about a week since I saw The Burmese Harp and the visuals and music are still running through my brain. I cannot wait until I have an opportunity to watch it again. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/11/19 Full Review Audience Member As Ebert once said, "I hated, hated, hated, hated this movie." Maybe if you're into totally inexplicable plot devices like choral singing WWII troops, fake prop harps, silly anti-war heart string tugging, the most boring long stretches of nothing happening that one can possibly do, and super long letters read aloud, this could be your movie. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Burmese Harp

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