The Burmese Harp

1956 1h 57m JA

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 177

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In Burma during the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier separated from his unit disguises himself as a Buddhist monk to escape imprisonment as a POW.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Rentaro Mikuni
Captain Inouye
Shōji Yasui
Mizushima
Jun Hamamura
Ito
Taketoshi Naitō
Kobayashi
Shunji Kasuga
Maki
Kō Nishimura
Baba
Keishichi Nakahara
Takagi
Toshiaki Itō
Hashimoto

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kon Ichikawa
Writers: Natto Wada
Languages: Burmese, English, 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

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Burmese, English, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kon Ichikawa, shot by Minoru Yokoyama. 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 Akira Ifukube. 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 Masanori Tsujii 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

Rentaro Mikuni and Shōji Yasui and Jun Hamamura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049012 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kon Ichikawa directs. Minoru Yokoyama behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Masanori Tsujii cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Burmese, English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

170 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Burmese, English, Japanese.
3Directed by Kon Ichikawa, shot by Minoru Yokoyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Masanori Tsujii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Rentaro Mikuni and Shōji Yasui and Jun Hamamura carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0049012 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "japan", "buddhism", "buddhist monk", "world war ii".
9Released under 12 different titles around the world.