Burmese Harp

Pros: look, ensemble of actors
Cons: a lot of choral music for a war movie

"Biruma no tategoto" (Burmese Harp, 1956), directed by Ichikawa Kon from an adaptation (by Ichikawa's wife Wada Natto) of Takeyama Michio 's novel is one of the 1950s films that put Japan on the map of international cinema (with a tie for the top prize ...

Pros: simply everything
Cons: nothing to mention

Although there are many unforgettable scenes, the most magical scene in Kon Ichikawa’s 1956 masterpiece, The Burmese Harp (biruma no tategona) is when the Japanese soldier-turned-Buddhist monk diligently hand-digs graves on the Burmese beach ...

Pros: A powerful reminder of the dangers of national hubris
Cons: Japanese perspective may offend some diehard xenophobes in America or Britain

Down in Burma, soil is red. So are rocks. Historical Background: Kon Ichikawa (1915-?) made his first big splash as a director with this film gem, The Burmese Harp, in 1956. He followed later with some other films worthy of the ...