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      The Human Condition 2: The Road to Eternity

      1959 1 hr. 52 min. History Drama War List
      Reviews 94% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Kaji does his best to help his men avoid death during WWII. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Dani G Honestly? It made me feel a little tired, with the repetitions of screams and most of all, the face-slapping that happens every 2 seconds. Not bad, but very short of the first part of the trilogy, I think Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/21/23 Full Review Audience Member The language of this picture is Japanese, not Chinese as displayed below. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member These were the times when great movies were made without the need of big budget or stars...more shocking than the meanest horror movies Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/19 Full Review Audience Member A superb continuation of the 9 hour epic known as the Human Condition Trilogy. Absolutely breathtaking. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Second Part in the incredible 9 hour film The Human Condition picks up where the first film left off, and features some exquisite filmmaking at its best that is only matched by stunning, unforgettable performances. The film continues telling the story of Kaji, who lost his rights for protecting for Chinese prisoners. Brilliantly filmed and steadily paced to let the story unfold to make it an unforgettable filmgoing experience. This second part tells a very good story as director Masaki Kobayashi continues his trilogy by telling a simple, yet enthralling story that manages to work to great effect because it's a story that is never dull and in fact, this second half more engaging than the first part due to the fact that there is a lot more happening this time around. I'm not saying that the first part of this epic film was bad or anything, like I stated in my review for that film, it was a fine first half to set things in motion, and it worked beautifully due to superb filmmaking and acting. This is a stunning piece of film, a flawless second half, and it does it a marvelous job at grabbing your attention due to the fact that it's a film that boasts a powerful, yet evocative story. Films like this are rare nowadays, and that's a shame because The Human Condition II: The Road Eternity is a masterful picture that can resonate with audiences even today, and if movies like this would be released today, it would bring back a certain lost element to the way that films are made. This second part is just as strong if not better than the first part and it continues on building the great story established in the first as well as continuing the enthralling film saga in this nine hour epic picture. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member At the end of the first film in the trilogy, Kaji is betrayed by his superior at the work camp in Manchuria (after seeking humane treatment of the Chinese POW laborers) and called up for military duty despite his guaranteed exemption. This second film (Parts 3 and 4) shows his experiences in the army, first in boot camp, where he and the other recruits are kicked around by the veterans, and then as the leader of a new group of recruits who end up at the front line attacked by the advancing Soviet troops. Kaji's idealism begins to crumble as he is routinely beat up, even as he sees another soldier commit suicide to escape the inhumane treatment; this change is hastened when he is assigned to a regiment led by an old friend, who refuses to buck the system. However scarred by experience, Kaji remains deep down a humanist -- but the film speaks to the power of terrible situations to engender opportunities for terrible behaviours. Engrossing (and apparently based on director Masaki Kobayashi's own wartime experiences as well as the book by Jumpei Gomikawa). Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Human Condition 2: The Road to Eternity

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      Critics Reviews

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      Matthew Connolly Slant Magazine The film possesses a restless vitality, with hard cuts juxtaposing abject brutality with pastoral tranquility and romantic longing. Rated: 4/4 Jun 17, 2021 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Masaki Kobayashi’s remarkable 1959-61 Japanese trilogy... Mar 12, 2024 Full Review Robert Ham PopMatters Throughout, small moments of mercy arise... Rated: 8/10 Jul 20, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Kaji does his best to help his men avoid death during WWII.
      Director
      Masaki Kobayashi
      Screenwriter
      Masaki Kobayashi, Zenzô Matsuyama
      Genre
      History, Drama, War
      Original Language
      Chinese