The Human Condition (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Honestly one of the most breathtaking films I have ever watched in my life. Nothing to come out recently is anywhere near the level of this films story. Beautiful message, amazing acting, must watch for any war film enthusiast. Rest in piece Tatsuya Nakadai.

Had this on my radar for the last few years and finally watched it this year. This three part Japanese WWII epic is a masterpiece. Honestly, everyone one into film should watch it before they die. The Human Condition tells the story of a man named Kaji working and serving in Japanese occupied Manchuria. Part 1 covers his role working as a supervisor at a mine using POW labor, part 2 is about his training as a cadet in the army, and part 3 covers his epic journey of survival with Japan’s collapse & defeat at the end of WWII. Very rarely do we see or at least I have seen, movies covering the Japanese perspective of the war and this one is excellent. The entire epic is around 9-10 hours long so it is indeed a long one, but worth it. IMO I think Part 1 and 2 are definitely a slow burn, but the switch up at the end of part 2 and part 3 as a whole makes it worth it. So good.

Fantastic four disc edition of one of the greatest pieces of Japanese and world cinema films ever made. It is about the Japanese occupation of Manchuria during world war 2.It is a masterpiece. I first saw this on British television in the 1980's and considered it one of the greatest films I had ever seen on TV. I have been looking for it for over 25 years so really glad to have find it in such a well presented and packaged collection. I am really looking forward to watching it. It was originally released in Japan as 3 separate films in the 1960's and is spread over 4 discs in the Criterion collection. It is by the great Japanese Film Director Masaki Kobayshi and is considered a mammoth and moving humanist drama and tells the story of a naïve young Japanese man who journeys from labour camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet POW in World War 2 Japanese occupied Manchuria. It is an anti war and humanist tale of a corrupt and brutal system and an indictment of Japans wartime cruelty, mentality and atrocities and his struggle to survive and retain his morality amidst the tragedy of war. In my view it is one of the most staggering achievements in world cinema and a masterpiece of cinema at its greatest. If you have not seen it and are interested in Japanese cinema the and the War in th Far East then buy it and enjoy. It is worth the cost and the effort

11/10

So so good. Kobayashi and Kurosawa were like the Shaq and Kobe of mid-century Japanese filmmaking. Not sure who’s Shaq and who’s Kobe tho. Kobe-yashi is funny so I’ll go with that.

wonderful film. The Japanese sure know how to make films. Highly recommend

Excellent

have heard alot about this film over the years. thanks to Criterion for bringing it back into circulation, i was able to purchase and watch it for the first time. more like a mini series than a film (comes on 3 disks, over 9 hours) the length of this film actually enhances the expereince. watched it over 3 nights, and at the end of each night couldn't wait to watch the next disk. If you read all the reviews here , I am sure you will get a much more in depth review than i offer here. All i will say that this film is a masterpiece whose images will stay with you long after you have seen the film. Highly Reccomnded!!!

C'est long, c'est lent, c'est violent. Une lente descente aux Enfers pour le héros, un homme simple et droit. Inoubliable, avec un transfert de qualité. Amateurs de films bling-bling ou Bang-bang, passez votre chemin...

Excellent Japanese WWII movie series, unfortunately with a tragic ending.

物語のは梶と三千子の夜の街中でのやりとりから始まる。そこで梶は三千子の愛を受け入れず、別れを切り出してしまう。 しかし労務管理官として満州にある中国人捕虜の強制労働施設への配属に当たり、梶は三千子と結婚して連れて行くことを決意する。 三千子は梶に愛を与え続ける存在であり、常に梶の身を案じ、時には拗ねたり甘えたり、二人の幸福な生活を夢見続ける。しかし梶はそんな三千子の想いに応える余裕がない程の厳しい現実を日々突きつけられる。どんな境遇に置かれても変わらぬ三千子の想いは梶の心をほぐし、いつしか難局を乗り越える力の源泉となってゆく。 正直者が馬鹿を見るのはいつの時代も変わらないのかもしれないが、梶も御多分に洩れず不遇な扱いを受け始め、やがて厄介払いのように戦地への召集がかかる。 地位も家族からも切り離された梶をこれでもかと苦難が襲う。もはや正気を保つことすら難しいと思うような状況の中で、梶は三千子への想いを募らせていく。 これは戦争を通して描かれた壮大な愛の抒情詩だと思う。物語の冒頭とはまるで違う、最後の最後まで三千子を求めてひたすらに彷徨い続ける梶の姿がただただ胸を打つ。 物語は最後まで梶を中心として描かれ、最後の最後まで救いはないバッドエンドな映画だ。 しかし梶は不幸だろうか？本当の愛を知ることもなく、上手く世の中を渡っていく人間の方が本当に幸せだろうか？人間の條件とは何か？何のために私たちは生まれてきたのか？ あなたはこのどうしようもない世界の群像劇で、一体誰に共感したのか？戦争を通して普遍的なテーマを投げかける世紀の傑作。 小林正樹がこの後撮った「切腹」も合わせて観てほしい。仲代達矢は本当に素晴らしい俳優さんです。あと、いつも悲劇の石濱朗も。

A masterpiece of cinema. You need to make an effort. Younger viewers may also need to take a look in a history book. If you make the effort you will be richly rewarded. Japanese cinema at its very best.

Well, there is absolutely nothing that I didn't like about this VERY long movie.....EXCEPT......the actual ending. I quite sure that plenty of viewers were wanting the stare of the movie to finally get to see his lovely wife again, But, NO. For some ridiculous reason, the movie ended as he was on the last leg of his ultra long walk home, So, his re-uniting with his wife was never seen. Okay, Now that I have got that off my back, I can now go on to chat about the rest of the movie. The movie, through out its entire length, explicitly shows just how hated the Japanese were in times of war. Their vile nature against others, was hated and despised as much by myself as I'm sure, no, make that CERTAIN, it would be by other viewers. But, over-all, apart those vile, scenes of violence against their own soldiers, I really enjoyed almost every minute of the whopping NINE HOURS AND FIFTY FOUR MINUTES ON THE MOVIE, interspersed with jokes, assorted comedy and sexy connotations with a bout of laughter or a giggle, now and then. So, I have NO hesitation is publicly stating that you should really enjoy at least, 90% of the lo-o-o-ong movie and treating it as a movie very much worth your time (and money) to see. In the end, I just know you will say you enjoyed it. However, I feel that maybe, returned service people may not be so enthusiastic about it as I was / am. I say it is a very like able movie.....but, that's just my opinion. Only one way to find out.....buy it, and form your own opinion.