The lyrical masterpiece from the director of An Actor's Revenge
" A GREAT JAPANESE WAR FILM, A TRUE PACIFIST MANIFESTO. "
THE UNROCKUPTIBLES
AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON BLU-RAY
Summer 1945. A regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army is in retreat deep in the Burmese jungle. Among the soldiers is Mizushima, a harp player who serves as a scout thanks to his instrument. During a halt, the regiment is surrounded by British troops and surrenders peacefully. Mizushima is then given a mission, which fails. He is reported missing. A few days later, his companions encounter a Burmese monk who bears a striking resemblance to him...
Adapted from Michio Takeyama's classic of Japanese literature, The Burmese Harp was Kon Ichikawa's first major international success, winning an award at the Venice Film Festival. In this humanist fable, a group of soldiers finds, through the power of song, a spirit of cohesion that allows them to reject violence. The beauty of Akira Ifukube's music, the haunting rhythm of the narrative, and the exquisite precision of the framing that magnifies sumptuous scenery make The Burmese Harp a lyrical masterpiece, placing Ichikawa among the great Japanese masters. See it for the first time in its splendid 4K restoration!
THE BURMAIAN HARP by Kon Ichikawa
(1956 - Black & White - 117 min)
New 4K restoration
Original version with French subtitles
SUPPLEMENTS
PREFACE BY DIANE ARNAUD (12 min)
THE STORY OF A SOLDIER (24 min)
By Claire-Akiko Brisset, professor and specialist in Japanese visual culture.
Based on the true story of soldier-monk Kazuo Nakamura, The Burmese Harp is one of the great pacifist films of the post-war period in Japan, where the fate of soldier Mizushima is seen as a symbolic return to the spiritual origins of Japanese Buddhism.
ORIGINAL TRAILER (HD)
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BD 50 • HIGH DEFINITION MASTER • 1080/23.98p • AVC ENCODING
Original Version DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 • French Subtitles
1.37 aspect ratio preserved • Black & White • Film Length: 117 minutes
Release date: January 21, 2025
