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THE BURMESE HARP
(Biruma no tategoto)

Director: Kon Ichikawa
Year: 1956
Runtime: 116 min.
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Color: B&W
Format: 16mm

Private Mizushima is an unusual soldier in an unusual company of men. To keep morale high, their captain has taught them to sing and Mizushima has self-learned the Burmese harp to accompany them. He also looks less Japanese than the others so he's asked to scout ahead looking for danger. They learn from the British that Japan has surrendered and the war is over. Mizushima is given one last assignment; he has thirty minutes to convince Japanese troops holed-up in the hills to lay down their arms before the British attack. He is unsuccessful and is wounded. A Buddhist priest attends to Mizushima, saving his life. In return, Mizushima steals the priest's robes and heads south attempting to rejoin his comrades. While travelling over the Burmese landscape, he sees the ravages war has wrought, and the Japanese soldier has a spiritual awakening in concord with his new appearance.


"From start to finish, there's a stirring humanism to Ichikawa's little seen classic. A powerful and affecting anti-war movie." — Ceri Thomas, Channel 4 Film

"A lyrical, epic film, in which the horrors of war are matched by the beauty of nature, the assertion of human dignity, and moving music." — Georges Sadoul, Dictionary of Films


Showtime

Location

Admission

Monday, June 2
7:00 pm

STUDIO ON 4TH
432 East 4th Street

$6 General
$4 GBFS Members