(no subject)
ゆきゆきて、神軍 Yuki Yukite Shingun [The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On], 1987. Dir. HARA Kazuo, starring OKUZAKI Kenzo.
Stunning - and shocking - documentary from one of Japan's "outlaw" directors (and with stuff like this, I can see why). One of those documentaries where you can feel the director, but the subject matter is so interesting (and so shocking) you don't notice.
Okuzaki is, at the outset of the documentary, a 62 year old veteran of the Japanese Imperial Army who is on a mission - explain the odd death of two low ranking privates of his unit after the end of the war. Okuzaki is a troublemaker - he was arrested for shooting pinballs at the Showa Emperor (Hirohito) at a New Year's greeting shindig, and after the filming of the documentary, sentenced to 12 years of hard labor of firing at the son of the captain he holds responsible for the death.
He's angry, and on a mission - and firmly believes the blame for the war lays at the feet of Hirohito, but in lieu of being able to go after him, Okuzaki is at least going to make a very small, very private story more public.
Anyways, definitely worth a viewing - it's startling at times, and a very rich documentary over all.
Stunning - and shocking - documentary from one of Japan's "outlaw" directors (and with stuff like this, I can see why). One of those documentaries where you can feel the director, but the subject matter is so interesting (and so shocking) you don't notice.
Okuzaki is, at the outset of the documentary, a 62 year old veteran of the Japanese Imperial Army who is on a mission - explain the odd death of two low ranking privates of his unit after the end of the war. Okuzaki is a troublemaker - he was arrested for shooting pinballs at the Showa Emperor (Hirohito) at a New Year's greeting shindig, and after the filming of the documentary, sentenced to 12 years of hard labor of firing at the son of the captain he holds responsible for the death.
He's angry, and on a mission - and firmly believes the blame for the war lays at the feet of Hirohito, but in lieu of being able to go after him, Okuzaki is at least going to make a very small, very private story more public.
Anyways, definitely worth a viewing - it's startling at times, and a very rich documentary over all.