Comments:
An Oshima film more
accessible to a general audience than most of his works. Set in a Japanese
prisoner-of-war camp in 1942, the film explores differences between the Japanese
and Western soldiers as well as repressed homosexuality and the barbarity of men
at war. Notable also for its casting (see Notes below).
Plot:
The film opens with
Sergeant Hara, guard at a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, waking up prisoner John
Lawrence. When another prisoner tries to get in his way Hara smashes him in the
head with a bamboo sword, splitting his scalp. An inter title tells us this is
"Java 1942." Hara has woken Lawrence (who speaks and understands Japanese) to
witness the punishment of a Korean guard (Kanemoto) for sodomizing a Dutch
prisoner (De jong). When Lawrence interferes by talking to the Dutchman and
calling out to Hara's superior, captain Yonnoi, the Korean breaks free and tries
to kill himself. Sergeant Hara stops the suicide attempt, reminding Yonnoi that
Kanemoto's family will only receive a pension if his death is ruled an accident.
Yonnoi stops the proceedings and asks for a report when he returns. He is on his
way to a trial in Batavia.
The trial is for Jack Celliers (Bowie). "A
very difficult defendant." It becomes obvious during the trial that Yonnoi is in
some way attracted to Celliers who is charged with waging guerrilla warfare
using local villagers. Celliers admits to parachuting behind enemy lines but
says the four men he jumped in with were killed, and he surrendered because the
Japanese threatened to kill local villagers if he didn't. He refuses to divulge
any other information about him self. Yonnoi argues, against the rest of the
panel, that Celliers should not be treated as a war criminal, but rather as a
prisoner of war. After a long wait (during which his interpreter gleefully
informs him that if it takes this long it always means a death
sentence) the
verdict is postponed.
Sometime later a couple of guards come to get Celliers who
pantomimes shaving using an invisible shaving kit. He talks to himself, breaks
down, composes himself, and then pretends to drink tea and have a cigarette. He
is hauled before the head judge who leeringly asks him "Can you guess what I'm
thinking?" His reply is to leeringly ape the question. He is beaten and led in
front of a firing squad. They put him in shackles and attempt to put a blindfold
on which he refuses. The officer in charge informs him the blindfold is for the
benefit of the firing squad, not for him. The order is given, they fire, but the
bullets are blanks. Celliers in turned over to Yonnoi.
Sergeant Hara is summoned by Lawrence who asks him to protect
the De jong soldier. Hara asks if he's worried that everyone will want to
sodomize him. Lawrence implies that De jong might be beaten up. Hara states that
first, a Japanese would never ask for help from an enemy, and also that Samurai
do not fear homosexuality, so he doesn't understand why the Western soldiers
do.
Celliers arrives in Java, and Lawrence is beaten for trying to
help him up. Guard that beats Lawrence is beaten by Yonnoi. Yonnoi meets with
Lawrence and allows how he wants Celliers returned to health as soon as
possible. Next Yonnoi berates Hicksley (commander of the prisoners), looking for
information on men who might know something about munitions. He threatens to
replace Hicksley (the implication is with Celliers), and Hicksley believes
Lawrence is somehow to blame for the whole situation. Hicksley asks for better
food and is told the prisoners get same food as their Japanese guards. Lawrence,
knowing something about the Japanese, offers to give Hicksley some advice.
Hicksley refuses to be guided by Lawrence, instead snidely asking what school
Lawrence attended (as if that made all the difference in the world).
Hara is curious as to why Yonnoi wants Celliers to be commander
instead of Hicksley. He comes to the sick bay to ask Lawrence who is staying
there along with Celliers and De jong. Lawrence guesses it is because Celliers
is a born leader. Hara says he would like Lawrence better if he would kill
himself, "a good officer like you." The two seem to share an odd respect for
each other. Lawrence replies that killing oneself is the coward's way out. Hara
thinks he is just scared of death.
Yonnoi's shouts at sword practice wake up and worry the men in
the sick bay. Lawrence asks that the shouts be quieted down. Yonnoi and Lawrence
take a walk during which Yonnoi confides that his present position is punishment
for his part in a failed revolt against the Japanese government six year's
earlier by a small group of young army officers. Their conversation abruptly
ends when Yonnoi informs Lawrence that Kanemoto's suicide has been scheduled and
a number of the officers and men are ordered to be there.
At the seppuku site, Hicksley asks that they be excused,
but his request is refused. Kanemoto does the deed, but his second (who is
supposed to cut off his head) does poorly, so Hara takes over and ends the
suffering with a quick decapitation. De jong, among those forced to watch, dies
biting off and choking on his own tongue. When the prisoners try to carry his
body away Yonnoi considers it a disgrace and he orders all prisoners away from
work. They are to fast for 48 hours, to cleanse them of their spiritual
laziness. Lawrence points out to Hicksley that Yonnoi will fast with
them.
During the fast Celliers sneaks food in to the men, and
Hicksley vows never to resign as commander. Yonnoi labels Celliers an evil
spirit and sends him to the cells. Lawrence is beaten and shackled in the yard
for his interference. The guards search the entire barracks and find a radio in
addition to the food.
While in the cells an attempt is made on Celliers life.
Celliers knocks his attacker out and frees Lawrence, but the exhausted pair are
cornered by Yonnoi before they can escape. The guard who tried to kill Celliers
said he did it because Celliers is an evil spirit who will take Yonnoi's spirit
away, he then commits seppuku. Yonnoi decides that Lawrence must be put to death
for the radio in the sick bay because no one else has claimed responsibility.
Crime must be punished, it doesn't matter who is punished.
Lawrence and Celliers are now alone and waiting death in
adjoining cells. Celliers is lost in remembering. Flashback to young boy
singing. The
young boy has a slight hunchback and is Cellier's younger
brother. Celliers allows the boy to be hazed at school (they take of his shirt)
when
he could have stopped it. His brother never sang another note since.
Cellier's wishes he could see him. Lawrence and Celliers are suddenly taken away
(they believe to be executed). They are taken before a happy, slightly drunk
Hara (pretends to be drunk?) who plays the role of Father Christmas that night
and releases them both.
The next morning Hara must explain to Yonnoi that he got a
Chinese prisoner to confess to the radio incident. Yonnoi renews his demands
for
information on demolition's experts. When Hicksley says there are none
Yonnoi orders all prisoners on parade. He then orders Hara out the next day on
an airstrip building brigade. On parade, Yonnoi orders hospital prisoners out as
well. After beating Hicksley for failing to follow orders, he beats the doctor,
and beats a sick prisoner screaming that they are not sick, their spirits are
sick.. One of the men from sick bay dies. Yonnoi again asks Hicksley how many
munitions experts there are in camp. When he says none, Yonnoi prepares to
execute him. Celliers blocks the execution by walking between the kneeling
Hicksley and the sword-wielding Yonnoi and kissing Yonnoi on the cheeks. Yonnoi
passes out. Celliers is beaten.
A new captain takes over and Celliers is buried up to his neck
in the sand. Hara leaves with the airport building detail the next morning and
as they walk past, all the prisoners salute the suffering Celliers. Celliers
still buried the next day, dreams once again of his boyhood home. He visits his
younger brother who forgives him. In the night Yonnoi comes to Celliers with a
razor as if to cut his throat, but only cuts off a lock of Cellier's hair. He
then bows to Celliers, circles him, and salutes.
Inter title "4 years later. ..1946."
Lawrence is brought to see Hara in an allied controlled prison.
Hara is in a cell wearing Buddhist beads and can now speak a little English. He
is to be executed the next morning. He is ready to die, but is confused because
his crimes were not different then any other soldier's. Celliers repeats what he
said to him years ago in the prison camp. "You are the victim of men who think
they are right. The truth is of course, nobody is right."
Yonnoi, we find out, was executed after the war. Hara reminds
Lawrence about the night he played father Christmas. Lawrence says it was a
wonderful Christmas. A saddened Lawrence claims victory is very hard to take, he
leaves crying. Films ends on a close-up of Hara's face while he repeats "Merry
Christmas, Mr. Lawrence."
Notes:
-
A Japanese/British/New Zealand co-production in English and
Japanese.
-
Filmed on location in New Zealand and Rartonga (Cook
islands), Oshima shot only 35,000 feet of film and finished shooting in just
two months.
-
Film features four popular multi-media entertainers: In
addition to David Bowie, Ruichi Sakamoto (playing captain Yonnoi) is one of
Japan's most successful musicians, most notably with the group The Yellow
Magic Orchestra; Beat Takeshi (sergeant Hara) is a successful comedian,
talk show host, writer, and actor who has gone on to become a successful
director (Sonatine, Hana-bi), Yuya Uchida (leader of the phony
firing squad) is a popular founding father of rock music in Japan who went on
to write and star in Comic Magazine (1986).
-
Ryuichi Sakamoto (captain Yonnoi) also composed the music
for the film's soundtrack.
-
The book the film is based on was roundly criticized when it
came out in Britain in 1951 for idolizing the Japanese.
Screening Notes:
-
Some violence, adult themes. The brutality depicted is more
mental than physical.
-
The haunting musical score seems at times almost a sarcastic
version of South Pacific or You Only Live Twice, making fun of
occidental stereotypes of what sounds oriental.
-
Point of departure for a discussion on Japan's use of
Korean's during WWII. Comfort women, and here the prison guard who is forced
to kill himself.
Related:
Casebier, Allan.
"Oshima in Contemporary Theoretical Perspective." Wide Angle (Number 2,
1987): 4-17.
Desser, David. Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the
Japanese New Wave Cinema. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,
1988.
Knee, Adam. "Criminality, Eroticism and Oshima." Wide
Angle (No. 2, 1987): 47-59.
McCarthy, Todd. "Oshima's Japanese Candor as to Directors of
West and Orient." Variety (April 9, 1980): 15.
Polan, Dana. "Politics as Process in Three Films by Nagisa
Oshima." Film Criticism (Fall 1983): 33-42.
Sato, Tadao. "Oshima and Bowie: Culture Shock." American
Film (Sept. 1983): 26-32.
Film commentary/notes provided by Brett Johnson, Center
for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan
From
www.umich.edu