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Masaki Kobayashi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, known for his epic trilogy The Human Condition, his samurai films Harakiri and Samurai Rebellion, and his horror anthology Kwaidan. He was a pacifist and a socialist, and a member of the Four Horsemen Club with Akira Kurosawa and others.
Masaki Kobayashi was a Japanese director and writer known for his samurai and anti-war films. He was born in 1916 and died in 1996, and worked with actors like Tatsuya Nakadai and Kinuyo Tanaka.
- January 1, 1
- Hokkaido, Japan
- January 1, 1
- Tokyo, Japan
A list of films directed, written and produced by Masaki Kobayashi, a Japanese filmmaker known for The Human Condition Trilogy and Harakiri. The filmography covers his career from 1949 to 2000, with notes on his assistant director roles.
YearTitleOriginal TitleDirector1949The Yotsuya Ghost StoryShin'yaku Yotsuya kaidanNo1949Broken DrumYabure-daikoNo1952Youth of the SonMusuko no seishunYes1953Sincere HeartMagokoroYes- Plot
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- Reception and Legacy
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The Human Conditionfollows the journey of the well-intentioned, yet naïve Kaji who transitions from being a labor camp supervisor to an Imperial Army soldier and eventual Soviet POW. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and time again finds his own morals an impediment rather than an advantage.
No Greater Love
1. Tatsuya Nakadaias Kaji 2. Michiyo Aratamaas Michiko 3. Chikage Awashimaas Tōfuku Kin 4. Ineko Arimaas Shunran Yō 5. Sō Yamamuraas Okishima 6. Keiji Sadaas Kageyama 7. Kōji Nanbaraas Kao (as Shinji Nanbara) 8. Akira Ishihamaas Chen 9. Kōji Mitsuias Furuya 10. Seiji Miyaguchias Wang Heng Li 11. Eitaro Ozawaas Okazaki 12. Toru Abeas Sergeant Watai 13. Masao Mishimaas Manager Kuroki 14. Kyū Sazankaas Cho Meisan
Road to Eternity
1. Tatsuya Nakadaias Kaji 2. Michiyo Aratamaas Michiko 3. Keiji Sadaas Kageyama 4. Kokinji Katsura as Sasa Nitōhei 5. Jun Tatara as Hino Jun'i 6. Michirō Minami as Yoshida Jōtōhei 7. Kei Satōas Shinjō Ittōhei 8. Kunie Tanakaas Obara Nitōhei
A Soldier's Prayer
1. Tatsuya Nakadaias Kaji 2. Michiyo Aratamaas Michiko 3. Tamao Nakamuraas Hinannmin no Shōjo 4. Yūsuke Kawazuas Terada Nitōhei 5. Chishū Ryūas Hinanmin no Chōrō 6. Taketoshi Naitōas Tange Ittōhei 7. Kyōko Kishidaas Ryūko 8. Ed Keene as Russian officer 9. Ronald Self as Chapayev 10. Hideko Takamineas a refugee
The film was based upon Junpei Gomikawa's six-part autobiographical novel of the same name, which strongly resonated with director Masaki Kobayashi. Like the novel's protagonist, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and stationed in Japan-occupied Manchuria. Self-described as a pacifist and socialist, he had refused to...
Noted for its length, The Human Conditionruns at nine hours, thirty-nine minutes (579 minutes) and would be the longest film in Kobayashi's career. The film was released as a trilogy in Japan between 1959 and 1961, while shown at various film festivals internationally. All-night marathons of the entire trilogy were occasionally shown in Japan; scre...
While the film earned considerable controversy at the time of its release in Japan, The Human Conditionwas critically acclaimed, won several international awards, and established Masaki Kobayashi as one of the most important Japanese directors of the generation. The British film critic David Shipman described the trilogy in his 1983 book, The Story...
No Greater Love at IMDbThe Road to Eternity at IMDbA Soldier's Prayer at IMDbThe Human Condition: The Prisoner an essay by Philip Kemp at the Criterion CollectionThe Human Condition is a film series by Masaki Kobayashi, based on a novel by Junpei Gomikawa, depicting the life of a pacifist in wartime Japan. The series consists of three films: No Greater Love, Road to Eternity, and A Soldier's Prayer, released in 1959 and 1961.
Learn about Kobayashi Masaki, a Japanese director who made a 9 1/2 -hour trilogy, The Human Condition, criticizing war and social order. Find out his other notable works, such as Seppuku, Kaidan, and Kaseki, and his background as a prisoner of war.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Feb 14, 2021 · Masaki Kobayashi’s “Harakiri” illustrates the samurai code as a flawed system hiding behind a façade of honor and principle—it is undeniably the greatest anti-samurai film ever made. It still hits a nerve over half a century later because it’s the quintessential anti-establishment film; and as long as authoritarian regimes exist ...
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Jul 10, 2016 · Learn about the life and work of Masaki Kobayashi, a Japanese director who challenged the studios and the society with his political and ethical films. Explore his masterpieces such as The Human Condition, Harakiri, Kwaidan and more.
