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Fires on the Plain (1959)

Fires on the Plain (1959)
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Kon Ichikawa's adaptation of Shohei Ooka's novel Nobi takes place in the Philippines at the end of World War II. The Japanese army is in hasty retreat from the incoming American forces. The soldiers have also been warned that the Americans will take no live prisoners, and so their flight is all the more desperate. One group of men harbors a soldier named Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi) suffering from the last stages of tuberculosis. Knowing he is facing imminent death anyway, Tamura is able to resist submitting to the chaos and demoralization that overtake his fellow soldiers (who fall so far as to commit murder, cannibalism, and go insane). Eventually Tamura becomes involved with a couple that has returned in order to pick up a cache of salt. He shoots the wife and chases off the husband, bringing him one step closer to losing his humanity. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Starring:
Eiji Funakoshi, Mantaro Ushio, (more)
Director(s):
Kon Ichikawa
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Fires on the Plain

Kon Ichikawa's adaptation of Shohei Ooka's novel Nobi takes place in the Philippines at the end of World War II. The Japanese army is in hasty retreat from the incoming American forces. The soldiers have also been warned that the Americans will take no live prisoners, and so their flight is all the more desperate. One group of men harbors a soldier named Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi) suffering from the last stages of tuberculosis. Knowing he is facing imminent death anyway, Tamura is able to resist submitting to the chaos and demoralization that overtake his fellow soldiers (who fall so far as to commit murder, cannibalism, and go insane). Eventually Tamura becomes involved with a couple that has returned in order to pick up a cache of salt. He shoots the wife and chases off the husband, bringing him one step closer to losing his humanity. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
104 mins

Complete Cast of Fires on the Plain


Director(s):
Kon Ichikawa
Writer(s):
Natto Wada
Producer(s):
Masaichi Nagata
Categories:
War
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    Jay and Yuko F.

    This is a landmark Japanese antiwar film. Loosely based on Shohei Ooka's novel of the same name, it chronicles the personal trials of a lone Japanese soldier, Private Tamura, on Leyte Island in the Phillipines at the end of WWII. The majority of the film focuses on the mental struggles of Private Tamura, and as such, viewers should not expect an action film. This film is about the human soul. The few brief combat scenes are antiseptic compared to the graphic violence common in modern films, but there are still enough graphic images to warrant an R-rating. Made over 20 years before Apocalypse Now!, topics such as civilian murder, fratricide, and cannabilism were groundbreaking at the time. There are no heroes here. 50 years after it's creation, the message of this film is still relevant. The English-language subtitles are impeccable, as with most Criterion Collection films.

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    Kevin M.

    Someone once said that any honest war photography is antiwar; this film demonstrates that any honest war movie is a horror film. Horrific and beautiful, this movie ably shows the price paid , not by civilians in a war environment but by those who fight.

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    Michael C.

    A good movie about the depravations endured by Japanese soldiers on Leyte in the Philippines during the American liberation. Fairly realistic in its brutal depiction of Japanese militarism, and yet revealing a realistc portrail of human natures. This is a movie for those interested in the "war" genre, and also for those who like old fashioned black and white movies. This movie was made in the late fifties, so don't expect great effects, in fact they are rather weak and are not central to the movie. The focus here is on the psychological effects of war as much as the physical. A non-heroic portrayal of war, and its brutalities on both soldiers and civilians. English subtitles.

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