The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

War • 1959 • 3 hr 24 min

8.3

8.5

After handing in a report on the treatment of Chinese colonial labor, Kaji is offered the post of labour chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He accepts and moves with his newlywed wife Michiko, but when he tries to put his ideas of more humane treatment into practice, he finds himself at odds with scheming officials, cruel foremen, and the military police.

Starring

Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima, Ineko Arima, Sō Yamamura

Directed By

Masaki Kobayashi

Written By

Masaki Kobayashi, Zenzō Matsuyama

Attributes

Complex Slow Dark Watch By Myself

Genre

War Drama History Foreign

Release Date

December 14, 1959

User Reviews

Start of the Kaji-san saga, watch the whole trilogy and take some time to process it

A powerful antiwar statement, and we haven’t even hit the battlefield. Brilliantly shot, superbly acted, and flat out devastating.

Great start to one of best, brutal trilogies in cinema history. Watch it if you have the patience and stamina

This film gave me goosebumps! An important movie about how we should always strive to treat others with kindness.

Works as its own behemoth story, but the fact this is only the opener to a trilogy is getting pretty excited.

To love truly, is to love sacrificially. A clear devotion of love requires defying all systematic cruelty and dehumanizing violence

Best character development you will find in a film

Amazing and poignant filmmaking. As is typical of Kobayashi, some really beautiful framing and cinematography here as well.

Begins the trilogy with Kaji's inherent contradiction in trying to benevolently run a POW camp. The words "No Greater Love" ring throughout.

UlvenReviews.com

First of a master piece of a trilogy.

Stats

Ratings

8.3 – Based on 292 ratings

Attributes

Watch With

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Kaji, sent to the Japanese army labeled Red, witnesses cruelties in the army and revolts against the abusive treatment against a fellow recruit. He also sees his friend Shinjô defecting to the Russian border, and he ends in the front to fight a lost battle against the Russian tanks division.

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

After handing in a report on the treatment of Chinese colonial labor, Kaji is offered the post of labour chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He accepts and moves with his newlywed wife Michiko, but when he tries to put his ideas of more humane treatment into practice, he finds himself at odds with scheming officials, cruel foremen, and the military police.

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