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Joel
14Mar12
A strange film. Not quite poetic but seemly intentionally paced to bring about a sense of realism, a focus on the characters in frame so much more than the action outside of the frame. I suffered under a strangely cropped print so even some of the subtitles were cut out. I found parts of this film striking but it wasn't quite as good as more of his visually striking films.
msmichel
12Aug11
Sokurov's third film in his "men of power" series is a mature and relective take on the final days in power and diplomatic surrender of Emperor Hirohito. The potrayal by Issei Ogata is eerie and powerful and puts one in the bunker and palace in 1945 Japan. A triumph of sparce set design, editing and fine camera work (by Sokurov himself). One of the finest films the year it came out and a landmark pic for Sokurov.
Langston Young likes this
Mugino
9Oct09
Hirohito is an embarrassing historical figure for me, and this portrayal is excruciatingly embarrassing to watch. That may be an indication that the film works exceptionally well, but it was difficult for me to enjoy.
ken martin likes this
Joseph Bierman
1Oct09
I was lucky enough to see this wonderful and complex portrait of Hirohito at the Philadelphia Film Festival in 2006 after it premiered at the New York Film Festival. The filmmaker moves slowly and with care to construct the world of an emperor just as that world is coming to an end. The meetings between Hirohito and MacArthur are wonderfully subtle and moving. A Great Film