Battle of the Warriors

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Mo Gong Release Date: 2006 Director: Jacob Cheung Netflix Link IMDb Link

Another large scale historicalish Chinese period war movie. How many of these has China made in the last decade or so? A lot. Battle of the Warriors has the same general elements as most of the others: a peaceful city in peril from a really evil invader where they are outnumbered at least two to one, a brilliant military strategist who will outmaneuver the really evil bad guy to save the day, lots and lots of arrows flying, gushing blood, an angsty “war is evil” scene, a quasi-love story, etc, etc, etc. It’s good, but it doesn’t stand out all that much from others in the same genre. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any film these days that comes anywhere close to the spectacle that is Red Cliff, but it is worth watching if you like these types of films.

Fires On The Plain

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Nobi Japanese: 野火 Release Date: 1959 Director: Kon Ichikawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

I just finished reading the book, so I watched the movie. I’m really torn as to which I prefer. The book is packed with subtle humor and delectable phrasing which is mostly lost in the movie. However, I love the fact that Ichikawa toned down a lot of the religious references in the book and I really liked his ending better. The ending of the book drags on for a chapter or two where it doesn’t need to. Granted, the book is a supposedly true story so it couldn’t have ended the same way as the film. As usual with movies adapted from books I’ve just read, I’m not sure it would be as clear having not read the book first. I think it probably would be since it’s a rather straight forward, linear narrative. Either way, it’s a good read and a good watch. It’s one of Ichikawa’s finest films.

Red Cliff 1 & 2 International Versions

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Chi Bi Chinese: 赤壁 Release Date: Part 1: 2008, Part 2: 2009 Director: John Woo Netflix Link: Part 1, Part 2 IMDb Link: Part 1, Part 2

The Chinese just don’t do anything small. This is probably the biggest movie I’ve ever seen them do. It’s even bigger (but not more ostentatious) than Curse of The Golden Flower. Once again, the losers are the horses. Chinese cinema is just not nice to horses. Red Cliff has a good (albeit mildly confusing at first) story, a great cast, tons and tons and tons of fighting, amazing battle sequences, massive explosions and just general awesomeness. It is everything a ginormous epic Chinese historical(ish) film should be and more. At nearly five hours in length, including both parts 1 & 2, the story should seem to drag, but it just never does. John Woo has redeemed himself from the turds that he made here in Hollywood. When Woo makes a film in China, it is something to behold.

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Saam gwok dzi gin lung se gap Chinese: 三国志之见龙卸甲 Release Date: 2008 Director: Daniel Lee Netflix Link IMDb Link

Another large-scale historical-ish drama brought to you, seemingly, by the entire population of China. Humongous battle scenes, tragedy, betrayal, martial arts, incredibly evil bad guys and everything else you can expect from a Chinese legend set to film. My initial reaction to the battle scenes was those poor horses. Chinese cinema is not kind to the equine. Andy Lau and Sammo Hung are brilliant, as usual, and Maggie Q expertly plays a character you love to hate. Three Kingdoms is good, but it doesn’t stand out all that much from other films in its genre like Curse of The Golden Flower or Hero. It pales in comparison to the recently released Red Cliff, but it’s worth watching if you like grandiose period films.

The Human Condition Trilogy

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Ningen no joken Release Date: 1959 Director: Masaki Kobayashi Netflix Link IMDb Link

At nearly 10 hours, not including the 4th special features disc, The Human Condition Trilogy is a big commitment and I wouldn’t recommend it for casual viewers of Japanese cinema. That being said, this trilogy is spectacular. It’s beautifully shot and incredibly heartfelt. It is a tad melodramatic at times, but if you put it in context (it was made when Japan was just coming out of the post-war era), it’s completely understandable. The films definitely have an anti-war slant, particularly anti-Japanese military, and they put a rather harsh light on Japan’s involvement in WW2. Strangely, the Soviets end up looking mildly better than the Japanese, but no one is spared the impact of its message. These films were not made for western audiences in the sense that the statement is directed at Japanese viewers, yet there’s enough universal human appeal to make it worthwhile viewing. Set in Manchuria, The Human Condition Trilogy presents a poignant viewpoint on a little known Japanese battlefield in WW2. It is masterfully filmed, well-acted and Tatsuya Nakadai can do no wrong. 4.5 stars.

Ballad Of A Soldier

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Ballada o soldate Release Date: 1959 Director: Grigori Chukhrai Netflix Link IMDb Link

Ballad Of A Soldier is a gorgeous piece of cinema. The cinematography in this movie is something to behold. I wouldn’t say that you have to be a film student to appreciate it; it’s right out there in the open. If you are though, it would be high on my list of must-see films. Ballad Of A Soldier was one of the first independent films to come out of Russia after WWII. Its lack of ties to state-sponsored media is apparent in the way it portrays the Soviet military as a somewhat inefficient bureaucracy while making the soldiers themselves seem fallible and definitely human. Even though it is set during WWII, I would not call it a war movie per se. It’s more a humanist tale about the effects of warfare. Ballad Of A Soldier has a lot of heart. It is only one of 30 million tragic stories of Russians during WWII.

Father of the Kamikaze

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Â kessen kôkûtai Release Date: 1974 Director: Kosaku Yamashita Netflix Link IMDb Link

Someone needs to show the Japanese how to make an effective war action film. I’m starting to think that perhaps it really does take a big, Hollywood-style budget to make decent dogfighting scenes after all. When you can see the wires from which the planes are hanging, you need some help in the special effects department. The flying scenes are made up of either actual aerial footage or of props that look like they were leftover from Gojira. Father of the Kamikaze also has far too much historical information scrolling across the screen and it is on the wrong side of long. Aside from that, its historical context is spot on, it has a great cast, including the wonderful Koji Tsuruta as the father of the kamikaze himself, and it is a powerful film overall. If you are at all curious about how the Japanese came up with the concept of suicide missions and put them into practice, this is your movie.

Battle of Okinawa

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Gekido No Showashi: Okinawa Kessen Release Date: 1971 Director: Kihachi Okamoto Netflix Link IMDb Link

Battle of Okinawa, why are you so long? Had this film been shorter, it would have been a brutally naturalistic glimpse at what went on inside those hollowed out caves on Okinawa. But as it is, it’s just too much. And I don’t mean that the editing was shoddy. I mean that there are too much guts, trauma and visceral emotion thrown at the screen for that period of time. And when you add in actual newsreel footage, it takes the atrocities to a whole different level. Anyone watching this already knows how it’s going to end, so, the tension that is there is all the more painful to watch. If you are curious to see the Japanese perspective on this WW2 Pacific theater battle, there is no better exemplar than Battle of Okinawa, but be prepared for a poignant viewing experience.

Sergeant York

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 1941 Director: Howard Hawks Netflix Link IMDb Link

If this story wasn’t based on actual events, one might be inclined to believe that it is overly stereotypical and contrived. But, the fact that it was based on the real life of one of the most celebrated soldiers in WWI, adds another dimension of complexity and heart to the story. Gary Cooper is utterly fantastic as the backwoods, naive farmer reluctantly conscripted into a war half a world away. York starts off the war as a conscientious objector and ends as a decorated war hero. Sergeant York is not a war film per se. There are scenes that take place on the battlefields of WWI but, most of the story is set in the hills of Tennessee. Really, it is a story about one man who was made remarkable by the circumstances of his life.

Back to Bataan

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 1945 Director: Edward Dmytryk Netflix Link IMDb Link

Typical of movies made during WW2, Back to Bataan is chock-full of guts and glory. It is positively dripping with patriotic sentiment complete with several scenes of real American POWs like a newsreel. Wayne is his usual embodiment of the walking, talking American hero. Anthony Quinn plays yet another nationality as the head of the Filipino rebellion and grandson of a great Filipino patriot. Taken in context, it’s not surprising that this film not only bolsters America’s fighting spirit but, the helpfulness of the Filipinos and their yearning to gain independence. Out of context, some 60 plus years after its propagandizing mission is over, Back To Bataan seems very time-worn and overly aggrandizing. But, if you’re curious to see how America represented the fight in the Philippines during WW2, this is your movie.