The Burmese Harp

The Burmese Harp

Directed by Kon Ichikawa • 1956 • Japan
Starring Rentaro Mikuni, Shoji Yasui, Taniye Kitabayashi

An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. THE BURMESE HARP is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema’s most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan’s wartime legacy.

The Burmese Harp
  • The Burmese Harp

    Directed by Kon Ichikawa • 1956 • Japan
    Starring Rentaro Mikuni, Shoji Yasui, Taniye Kitabayashi

    An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist mo...

Extras

  • Kon Ichikawa on THE BURMESE HARP

    In the following interview, recorded in Japan in 2005, director Kon Ichikawa discusses the production of THE BURMESE HARP.

  • Rentaro Mikuni on THE BURMESE HARP

    Here, actor Rentaro Mikuni, who plays Captain Inouye in THE BURMESE HARP, recalls his experiences working with Kon Ichikawa. This interview was recorded in Japan in 2006.