Fires on the Plain (1959)

 Kon Ichikawa's "Fires on the Plain"


Despite receiving mixed receptions at the time of its release, Kon Ichikawa's 1959 film "Fires on the Plain" has gone on to be considered a classic of the Japanese Golden Age. The film follows a Japanese private attempting to stay alive in the Philippines during the Second World War. One of the reasons for the lukewarm reception was due to the film's violence and bleak theme. 

However, these thematic notions are entirely what make the film such an memorable and worthy film. Its unflinching observation of how humanity devolves given the bleak circumstances provides an natural sense of discomfort. I was very discomforted by the film, simply by the horrible conceptions of what could befall us given its scenarios. 



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