The Human Condition
Ningen no joken
Japan
1959
574 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
Japanese
Synopsis
Masaki Kobayashi’s mammoth humanist drama is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema. Originally filmed and released in three parts, the nine-and-a-half-hour The Human Condition (Ningen no joken), adapted from Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji (handsome Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet POW. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals an impediment rather than an advantage. A raw indictment of its nation’s wartime mentality as well as a personal existential tragedy, Kobayashi’s riveting, gorgeously filmed epic is novelistic cinema at its best. —The Criterion Collection
Director
Masaki Kobayashi
Masaki Kobayashi (小林 正樹, Kobayashi Masaaki, February 14, 1916–October 4, 1996) was a Japanese director.
Among his films is Kwaidan (1965), a collection of four ghost stories drawn from the book by Lafcadio Hearn, each of which has a surprise ending.
Kobayashi also directed The Human Condition, a trilogy on the effects of World War II on a Japanese pacifist and socialist. The total length of the films is over 9 hours. Other notable films include Harakiri (1962) and Samurai Rebellion (1967). Harakiri won him an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, solidifying his place in the history of cinema.
He was also a candidate for directing the Japanese sequences for Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) but instead Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda were chosen.
Kobayashi, himself a pacifist, was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, but refused to fight and refused promotion to a rank higher than private. —Wikipedia
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Displaying 4 of 30 wall posts.
Franklinton Underground Cinema
19Jan12
"I'm boarding this run-down truck, but you're trying to catch the train of humanism before it's too late. I won't stop you. You seem willing to pay the fare, no matter how high."
Cbarky99
20Nov11
Essentially watching a man walk off a (metaphorical) cliff in slow-motion, but also a brutal, personal epic at the same time. Shockingly, it never drags despite the lengthy running time, but may not be the best film to watch if you're having one of those weeks where you're convinced the world is not a friendly place. This is going to stay with me for a long time, I think.
Fábio Gomes
17Nov11
epic masterpiece. legendary directing, cinematography and performances. a true odissey through the conditions of being human. should be a must see for every human being.
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Now on DVD: "The Human Condition" (Masaki Kobayashi, 1959-1961)
By Acquarello on November 11, 2009
Masaki Kobayashi's six-part magnum opus, The Human Condition, based on Junpei Gomikawa's postwar novel, bears the imprint of Kobayashi's tutelage
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Kurosawa vs. Kobayashi: The Futility of Exposition
By salikshah on December 13, 2010
After watching The Human Condition (1959-1961), one gets the feeling that Akira Kurosawa was like the quitter(s) in Masaki Kobayashi’s trilogy. They called Kurosawa a coward (he tried to commit… read review
Untitled
By Bobby Myers on October 8, 2009
A rather harrowing experience.
At first I was upset that my one-dvd-at-a-time netflix plan would not allow me to marathon it, but in retrospect, I am glad that I watched it over the course of… read review
Untitled
By McNulty on September 29, 2009
9 and a half hours of war atrocities and human suffering. Beautifully filmed, poetic eloquent language, and a very depressing ending. If I had to count any flaws was some of the acting was really… read review
Untitled
By Teddy Cheong on September 17, 2009
Rarely have I seen a movie that attempts to encompass everything that makes up the human spirit. And The Human Condition subjects a man to the many facets of war, that which tends to destroy that very… read review
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Currently watching The Human Condition
40 posts by 20 people
about 1 year ago
The Human Condition’s hero Kaji: an implausible character?
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about 1 year ago