“FIRES ON THE PLAIN” | Festival Premiere | Japan | Japanese w/English subtitles | 108 min.
Written and directed by Shinya Tsukamoto.
“Fires on the Plain” follows a soldier, Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi), who, along with hordes of other men, is stranded in the jungles of the Philippines in the waning days of World War II. With Japan’s Imperial Army facing dire conditions, gruesome realities arise. Some men go insane; others resort to cannibalism. Amid the brutality and hopelessness, Tamura, who has tuberculosis, flees his troop and struggles to survive.
Cult director Shinya Tsukamoto’s (“Tetsuo: The Iron Man”) film is based on the classic novel, which also inspired Kon Ichikawa’s 1959 film of the same name. With intense bursts of violence and incredible sound design, Tsukamoto captures the lunacy of war and the lawlessness in the jungle.
Screenings: Nov. 6, 12:45 p.m.
