[psycho d]

The Human Condition (1959). Finally made it through this absolute epic, 9h and 47m flick. This was simply a pacifist's incredible journey from a WWII slave labor supervisor to a soldier and finally to a POW in a Russian prison camp. This film is a painfully wonderful study of the pawns of war, whose sufferings are unimaginably portrayed in the fantasic epic. The Human Condition does not short-corner the realities of human nature, and how good men might behave when in horrific circumstances. Nor does director Kobayashi shy away from calling a spade a spade in his horrific portrayal of the Japanese during this WWII era flick. The hero, the ever stoic Kaji, is a monument of a man that holds true to his ideals by treating everyone in a fair and humane manner. His greatest flaw might be that he holds others to the nearly impossible standards that he holds himself to. Of course, there is the larger than life heroine, Kaji's beloved Michiko, which fuels him to survive each tribulation such that he can finally again rest in Michiko's arms. A wicked testament to human resolve, the ending to The Human Condition disappointed me at first, but there was no other way to end this monumental flick, and with reflection this ending became more and more powerful. A huge commitment for sure, this is still a must see for the arduous fan of classic Japanese cinema. Ashe.
derek