Fires on the Plain

1959 1h 45m JA

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 130

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier afflicted with tuberculosis is abandoned by his company and left to wander the Philippine island of Leyte.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Eiji Funakoshi
Tamura
Osamu Takizawa
Yasuda
Mickey Curtis
Nagamatsu
Hikaru Hoshi
Soldier
Mantarō Ushio
Sergeant
Masaya Tsukida
Soldier
Koh Sugita
Soldier
Yoshihiro Hamaguchi
Officer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kon Ichikawa
Writers: Natto Wada
Languages: Tagalog, Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Tagalog, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kon Ichikawa, shot by Setsuo Kobayashi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Yasushi Akutagawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tatsuji Nakashizu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Eiji Funakoshi and Osamu Takizawa and Mickey Curtis carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053121 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kon Ichikawa directs. Setsuo Kobayashi behind the camera. Yasushi Akutagawa scores. Tatsuji Nakashizu cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Tagalog, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Tagalog, Japanese.
3Directed by Kon Ichikawa, shot by Setsuo Kobayashi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Yasushi Akutagawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tatsuji Nakashizu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Eiji Funakoshi and Osamu Takizawa and Mickey Curtis carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0053121 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 12 themes, including "world war ii", "defeat", "philippines", "pacific war".