The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

No Greater Love
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMasaki Kobayashi
Written byMasaki Kobayashi
Zenzo Matsuyama
Based onThe Human Condition by Junpei Gomikawa
Produced byShigeru Wakatsuki
StarringTatsuya Nakadai
Michiyo Aratama
CinematographyYoshio Miyajima
Edited byKeiichi Uraoka
Music byChuji Kinoshita
Production
company
Ninjin Club
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • 15 January 1959 (1959-01-15)
Running time
206 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (第一部 純愛篇／第二部 激怒篇) is a 1959 Japanese epic war drama film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. It is the first part of The Human Condition trilogy.[1][2]

Plot

In World War II-era Japan, Kaji marries his sweetheart Michiko despite his misgivings about the future. To gain exemption from military service, he moves his wife to a large mining operation in Japanese-colonized Manchuria, where he serves as a labor chief assigned to a workforce of Chinese prisoners.

Kaji aggravates the camp bureaucracy by implementing humane practices to improve both labor conditions and productivity, clashing with foremen, administrators, and the Kenpeitai military police. Ultimately his efforts to grant autonomy to the POWs are undermined by scheming officials, resulting in the electrocution of several prisoners and the beheading of others accused of attempted escape. When Kaji protests the brutality, he is tortured and then drafted into the army to relieve the camp supervisors of his disruptive presence.

Cast

References

  1. ^ "The Human Condition I". The Criterion Channel. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  2. ^ Kobayashi, Masaki (1959-12-14), Ningen no jôken (Drama, History, War), Ninjin Club, Shochiku, retrieved 2022-01-29