A well-known Japanese director Kon Ichikawa, in his masterpiece "The Burmese Harp", reveals how small groups of Japanese soldiers reacted to the end of the World War II. The off-screen voice, which belongs to one of these soldiers, narrates how he alongside his comrades had to face difficulties not only on the battlefield, but also after the War had come to an end. Hoping to return to Japan and "rebuild" it, his group surrenders to the British, while the other one refuses to do so. All of the attempts to persuade this second group were in vain for the soldier Mizushima, the main hero of the movie, who could skilfully play the harp and accompanied the songs of his fellowmen. In half an hour, British bombarded the non-surrendering Japanese troops, whereas Mizushima managed to survive. Although he seemed to have got lost and the evidence pointed to his death, his comrades didn't abandon the attempts to find him. When they finally managed to do so, they discovered that while feeling guilt for his failure to prevent the death of the soldiers, Mizushima becomes a monk and decides not to return to Japan unless the bodies of his countrymen are scattered in Burma.
This movie should be viewed as more than simply a narrative about the desperate monk and the soldiers, who had to cope with the consequences of the World War II. Each character and each scene symbolizes the Japanese view on their nation during this significant historical event. For instance, the group of Mizushima is portrayed as it had to surrender, but nonetheless had a great goal to come back to Japan and "rebuild" the motherland. The group of soldiers expressed its patriotism even more explicitly, by refusing to give up and preferring death for the sake of Japan. Such elements of the movie are particularly important in a way that each of the two groups of soldiers seems to represent the Japanese spirit and a strong sense of the national identity.
A harp being another central element of this film seems to serve several functions. It is an instrument, which during the most difficult moments of war acted as a therapy, raising the spirits of the fighters. Moreover, it is a tool and language of communication, which sends different signals to the soldiers and is difficult to understand by the outsiders. It is also a distinctive feature of Mizushima, by which his comrades managed to distinguish him while being in search. And the way in which it is depicted in the movie makes it not a less significant hero than Mizushima.
The role of Buddhism in this movie, however is more implicit. One might get an impression that a few references of the words "Buddha" and "sutra" makes the Buddhist context less significant, while the temples and statues, shown in the movie have a decorative function. Yet, such conclusions might be misleading. Although they contain partial truth, and even Mizushima as a monk, has little to do with the commonly accepted characteristics of monks, other than his appearance, the most important message of the movie still coincides with the Buddhist understanding of the world. In one of the final scenes, when the Captain is reading the letter of Mizushima, the Buddhist observer can easily identify the First Noble Truth that "life is suffering". This truth concerns not only the life of Mizushima, but all of the people who witnessed the war. It is definitely true that Mizushima's decision to remain in Burma was motivated by the self-imposed duty to bury his dead countrymen in an appropriate way, which in its turn is a deal of honour. Yet, it is also probable that the internalization of the Buddhist ideas influenced his decision to adhere to the monastic way of life. For these reasons, it would be incorrect to undervalue the role of Buddhism in this movie.
Mizushima, being the central character of the movie, is worth being noted separately. He is the embodiment of the true Japanese soldier, an impression that comes to mind first while watching the movie. This is a complex character, who experiences an internal struggle and dilemma regarding his comrades. Although it seemed rational to come back home, his devotion to his fellowmen and his honour prevented him from returning to Japan. His even more serious decision to devote his life to the Dharma, Buddha and the Sangha make his heroic image even more appealing.
In general, the fact that it was the mid-20th century product does not make its quality less worth-praising. Most probably, this is due to the realistic delivery of the atmosphere of the War period and the actors, most of whom, had undergone these times themselves. The efforts put by the movie crew seem to have been justified, due to the worldwide recognition and mainly a positive reception of the film. After all, this is an exceptional drama, with a breath-taking plot and full of different ideas that give a spectator some "food for thought".
This movie should be viewed as more than simply a narrative about the desperate monk and the soldiers, who had to cope with the consequences of the World War II. Each character and each scene symbolizes the Japanese view on their nation during this significant historical event. For instance, the group of Mizushima is portrayed as it had to surrender, but nonetheless had a great goal to come back to Japan and "rebuild" the motherland. The group of soldiers expressed its patriotism even more explicitly, by refusing to give up and preferring death for the sake of Japan. Such elements of the movie are particularly important in a way that each of the two groups of soldiers seems to represent the Japanese spirit and a strong sense of the national identity.
A harp being another central element of this film seems to serve several functions. It is an instrument, which during the most difficult moments of war acted as a therapy, raising the spirits of the fighters. Moreover, it is a tool and language of communication, which sends different signals to the soldiers and is difficult to understand by the outsiders. It is also a distinctive feature of Mizushima, by which his comrades managed to distinguish him while being in search. And the way in which it is depicted in the movie makes it not a less significant hero than Mizushima.
The role of Buddhism in this movie, however is more implicit. One might get an impression that a few references of the words "Buddha" and "sutra" makes the Buddhist context less significant, while the temples and statues, shown in the movie have a decorative function. Yet, such conclusions might be misleading. Although they contain partial truth, and even Mizushima as a monk, has little to do with the commonly accepted characteristics of monks, other than his appearance, the most important message of the movie still coincides with the Buddhist understanding of the world. In one of the final scenes, when the Captain is reading the letter of Mizushima, the Buddhist observer can easily identify the First Noble Truth that "life is suffering". This truth concerns not only the life of Mizushima, but all of the people who witnessed the war. It is definitely true that Mizushima's decision to remain in Burma was motivated by the self-imposed duty to bury his dead countrymen in an appropriate way, which in its turn is a deal of honour. Yet, it is also probable that the internalization of the Buddhist ideas influenced his decision to adhere to the monastic way of life. For these reasons, it would be incorrect to undervalue the role of Buddhism in this movie.
Mizushima, being the central character of the movie, is worth being noted separately. He is the embodiment of the true Japanese soldier, an impression that comes to mind first while watching the movie. This is a complex character, who experiences an internal struggle and dilemma regarding his comrades. Although it seemed rational to come back home, his devotion to his fellowmen and his honour prevented him from returning to Japan. His even more serious decision to devote his life to the Dharma, Buddha and the Sangha make his heroic image even more appealing.
In general, the fact that it was the mid-20th century product does not make its quality less worth-praising. Most probably, this is due to the realistic delivery of the atmosphere of the War period and the actors, most of whom, had undergone these times themselves. The efforts put by the movie crew seem to have been justified, due to the worldwide recognition and mainly a positive reception of the film. After all, this is an exceptional drama, with a breath-taking plot and full of different ideas that give a spectator some "food for thought".