The Idiot (Japan, 1951)

Kameda, who has been in an asylum on Okinawa, travels to Hokkaido. There he becomes involved with two women, Taeko and Ayako. Taeko comes to love Kameda, but is loved in turn by Akama. When Akama realizes that he will never have Taeko, his thoughts turn to murder, and great tragedy ensues.

Having a huge interest in reading, I was amazed at finding out that Kurosawa once adapted Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot to the big screen. Naturally one just has to see this work being worked over by the master Kurosawa, but apparently the film wasn't very well received, and is criticized for being a rushed production and overall weak entry in the director's otherwise flawless filmography. Granted, it has the most value to viewers who've read the book, but I wouldn't give it as low as scores it's been rewarded with back in the day. Kurosawa shows us a beautiful, snowy Hokkaido and there sets the stage for a very character driven story. 

It's a long sit, and can drag if you're only have a fleeting interest in Kurosawa's black-and-white era, but an interesting film for literature fans.

Genre: Drama

Fires on the Plain (Japan, 2014)

A Japanese soldier endures illness, starvation and brutality in the Philippines at the tail end of WW2.

In 2014, Shinya Tsukamoto (Tokyo Fist) got the chance to direct a remake of a 1959 war movie of the same name, and its got his signature madness all over it. He plays the lead role himself, and gives us the portrayal of a man who slowly slips into violent confusion and disorientation. Both peaceful and patient, while also making sure to display copious amounts of blood and gore, Tsukamoto  has the power to make a relatively low-budget film feel like a huge deal and with a humane running time to boot (1h27m).

Genre: Drama/War

Empire of Passion (Japan, 1978)

A young man has an affair with an older woman. He is very jealous of her husband and decides that they should kill him. One night, after the husband had plenty of sake to drink and was in bed, they strangle him and dump his body down a well. To avert any suspicions, she pretends her husband has gone off to Tokyo to work. For three years the wife and her lover secretly see each other. Finally, suspicions become very strong and people begin to gossip. To make matters worse, her husband's ghost begins to haunt her and the law arrives to investigate her husband's disappearance.

Once again the restless spirits just can't stop walking the Earth. Here we have a rich mix of betrayal, violent passion and ghostly apparitions where the stark colors are almost popping out of the screen, and Empire of Passion has been said to be the spiritual successor to Nagisa Oshima's (who has one hell of a track record including Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Taboo) highly acclaimed In the Realm of the Senses (1976). He also has a way of not depicting sex as a toned down and overly romanticized act, but rather raw and honest. An empire well worth visiting.

The striking and beautiful French poster.

Genre: Drama/Horror/Romance

The Burmese Harp (Japan, 1956)

Mizushima is a soldier in the Japanese army in Burma in World War II. He's a good soldier and frequently plays his harp to entertain his fellow soldiers. When the war comes to an end, he is asked by the British to go into the mountains to try and convince a Japanese troop to surrender. Given only 30 minutes to convince them, Mizushima is unsuccessful - they would rather die with honor - and the British attack. Deeply affected by what has happened, he becomes a Buddhist monk, traveling the countryside burying the remains of Japanese soldiers. 

The Burmese Harp is centered around religion and Buddhists beliefs, without beating you in the head with it which easily could have been the case. It's a beautiful and haunting look at post-war Japan, with memorable scenes and lovely authentic scenography. Director Kon Ichikawa  (An Actor's Revenge, The Makioka Sisters) was supposed to shoot the film in color but due to large and bulky cameras that he was afraid to damage by accident he instead shot the film in black-and-white.

Genre: Drama/War