3. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)
Masaki Kobayashi's anti-war epic. All three parts are unforgettable but the first one stands out for me. Kaji the protagonist gets an exemption during WWII and becomes a supervisor of a mine. He struggles to spread his ideals in the whole operation but life becomes harder when Chinese prisoners are brought in to enhance the labor force. He wants to give the same treatment and values the rights of prisoners but his surroundings fails him with the prisoners themselves, trying to escape. Than Kaji tries to save them from the impending doom and brings hell to himself. It's a great story that depicts the maddening imperialism in Japan during WWII. I gotta give myself credit for digging up this gem of a trilogy! I was on a role watching all kinds of Asian movies I could get my hands on and somehow landed on this. Of course Kobayashi's Harakiri have been an important one in Japanese film history but I definitely remember finding this first. One of the best things about this really rare movie is the fact that I did not for a second feel bored or feel less intrigued about the future prospects. I was in a row and saw all the 3 parts in one go. Direction and cinematography in all parts are truly compelling. Mr. Kobayashi will keep you interested till the last minute. Although, I picked the first one, you must see all three of the lot. 9 hours of maddening movie experience!