THE CURBSIDE CRITERION: FIRES ON THE PLAIN
(We here at Hammer to Nail are all about true independent cinema. But we also have to tip our hat to the great films of yesteryear that continue to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles alike. This week Brad Cook pops in the new Bu ray release of Fires on the Plain, the overlooked at the time film that has recently been reconsidered.)
I’ll admit I wasn’t in the best frame of mind to watch Fires on the Plain for the first time. My job hunt has been a year-plus slog and I’ve got some other things going on in my personal life. Of course, this is also the kind of movie that makes me thankful for my current existence, because at least I’m not facing death every day.
Released in 1959, Fires on the Plain was directed by Kon Ichikawa and written by Natto Wada; the screenplay was based on the novel of the same name by Shōhei Ōoka. It didn’t do very well when it was first released, but it later received a reappraisal that earned its inclusion in the Criterion Collection.
The story is set in February 1945, as the Imperial Japanese Army was losing control of many Pacific Ocean islands and its soldiers were exposed to increasingly harsh conditons. Private Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi) is stationed on the Philippine island known as Leyte, where he’s suffering from tuberculosis and is ordered to report to a nearby hospital; if they won’t take him in, he’s supposed to use his grenade to commit suicide.
The hospital won’t take him in because it’s at its limit with men in worse shape, but he opts to join others who have also been rejected and have taken up residence under some nearby trees. When the Allies destroy the hospital, however, Tamura decides to make his way across the island and try to find some of his fellow countrymen.
His journey is emblematic of the chaos that happens during the final stages of pretty much any war, when it’s clear who the winner will be and the participants on the losing side struggle to avoid dying for a lost cause. In Tamura’s case, he must be wary not only of American soldiers and backstabbing comrades but also the local Filipinos who want revenge over the bloodshed that’s been brought to their country.
This new 4K Ultra HD edition of Fires on the Plain from Criterion features a digital restoration and freshly retranslated subtitles. This was my first time seeing this film, but I can’t imagine there’s any room to improve on the video quality found here. It looks pristine, and I imagine it’s pretty much on par with the way it looked in theaters in 1959.
The film is the only thing found on the 4K platter, but there’s also a Blu-ray with the movie and some bonus features. (A Blu-ray-only edition is also available.) The extras are on the paltry side, however; nothing new was created for this release.
The first bonus feature is an introduction to the film by Japanese film scholar Donald Richie. Filmed in 2006, it runs about 13 minutes and offers an overview of Ichikawa’s career in general and this movie in particular.
The other extra, about 21 minutes long, is a pair of interviews with Ichikawa and actor Mickey Curtis from the same time period. If you’re not familiar with this film, you might think Curtis played one of the American soldiers, but he’s actually an actor born in Tokyo to English-Japanese parents; he was a popular singer in Japan in the 1950s.
So, yes, that’s it for extras on this one. Too bad Criterion couldn’t put together a commentary track. The obligatory paper insert is a fold-out with an essay by critic Chuck Stephens.
– Brad Cook (@BradCWriter)
Citerion Collection; Fires on the Plain; Kon Ichikawa
Post a Comment
