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
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