Rikugun

After nearly twenty years, this movie still haunts me. I remember only a few flickering black and white scenes, but wow, to this day, tears well up in my eyes when I think about it.

I saw it as a historical curiosity, having no expectations for it as a cinematic experience. It is a propaganda film with lots of stilted "party line" dialogue the audience laughed over, myself included.

Little did I suspect that the last 5 minutes of this "joke" of a movie would leave me drained and in tears. The actress who played the mother(Sugimura Haruko, I salute you) reached across time and space and pulled me into the private and secret world of her character. And it was a place I had never been before. What more can you expect of a movie?

To put this kind of ending on a movie called "Army" in 1944 took a lot of courage and decency. Thank you, Kinoshita Keisuke.

If the opportunity comes your way to see this movie, I urge you to see it.

Like any military-themed movie made during WWII, it is HEAVY in propaganda and blatant misinformation. And, yes, America made this crap, too (I'm looking at YOU, Howard Hawks, with AIR FORCE).

It is the story of what we might call a dysfunctional father, today, and his fanatical devotion to the Emperor - truly cringy, especially as it rings true and relevant, today. One reviewer called it "subtle and nuanced," but, one is hit with the same lines, over and over again - basically, it's as subtle as Three Stooges' slapstick.

This is a MUST for Students of WWII, Japanese History or film interested in this director or genre, but, other than that, save your 87 minutes...

The Japanese film "Rikugun" (The Army) was produced by the Japanese army during the World War II. As a propaganda film, this film must have been pro-army, pro-war. However, a young director Keisuke Kinoshita tried to include an anti-war message in the film despite of censorship. The mother (played by Kinuyo Tanaka) was trying to find his son in army marching in the last scene. It lasts 7, 8 minutes and the film ends with her close-up. The scene is overwhelming. The film was not appreciated by the army and Kinoshita could not direct the next film at the time. He directed the next film after WWII. The films is not great, but very important. Recently, "Dawn of a Filmmaker: The Keisuke Kinoshita Story" was released in Japan. We see how he comes back to direct films. We also see the last scene of "Rikugun" in this biographic film.

During WWII, Hollywood produced a ton of propaganda films that showed the US military in the best possible light. By and large, the films were built around themes involving individual heroism. In contrast, the Japanese propaganda film "Army" is all about the unimportance of the individual and the importance of undying obedience.

The film is quite obvious in the lessons it's trying to instill in the audience--more obvious than the American version. In fact, this film even lists, several times, the important lessons all soldiers must know. All this is wrapped around a multi-generational story that follows a family from the tumult of the Meiji era through the wars of the late 19th and early 20th century and ultimately to WWII. It also clearly explains the reasons for these wars from the Japanese perspective...but it manages to do it very well and with many wonderful vignettes of this family.

All in all, a very high quality film that is worth seeing so you can gain insight into the psyche of Japan circa 1944. Well made, if obvious.

Director Keisuke Kinoshita had to 'toe the line' in the film. Sponsored by the Imperial Japanese Army (I.J.A.), nothing but honor and respect were to be shown to that service. The failure to do your duty to the Emperor and State was inexcusable. The word 'coward' is liberally thrown around at any sign of acting less then a man, any sign of weakness.

The story covers three (3) generations of a Japanese Family and its contributions too the war effort. Starting with the First Sino-Japanese War (1894>1895), Russo-Japanese War (1904>1905) finally the commitment in 1937 to the 2nd Sino-Japanese War which evolved/merged into World War II in 1939. The prelude to the story set in 1944 illustrates this, Japan is being pressed by the Navies of the 'Western Powers'. Japan is always portrayed as a victim. Either not getting its fair share of the spoils of war, nor the proper respect as a player for Empire.

The film ends with the I.J.A. marching off to defend the Empire from the alleged aggression of the Chinese. The Mother runs after Her Son, desiring a last farewell. Is She distraught of His leaving or proud He is finally living up to His duty? With no dialogue save for martial music playing it is left up to the viewer. Though it did not please all those in the I.J.A. it skirted the issue enough to pass the censors.