The Human Condition (Parts 1 and 2)

This film (drama)Also known as人間の條件，is aJapanProducerwomen sex，At1959Released in year 。The dialogue language isJapanese, Mandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating8.8(For reference only)。

Adapted from the original work "The Human Condition" by Gomi Kawajunpei. It is a film that reflects on Japanese colonizers in Northeast China (Manchuria), with the director reflecting on the impact of war on both sides from a humanitarian perspective. The story is set in Manchuria in 1943, during the latter part of the Pacific War, focusing on the male protagonist, Kaji, who struggles throughout his life for his humanitarian stance against Japanese militarism in Manchuria. 　　Part 1: Pure Love Chapter 　　Part 2: Rage Chapter 　　Part 3: Nostalgia Chapter 　　Part 4: War Cloud Chapter 　　Part 5: Escape from Death Chapter 　　Part 6: Wandering in the Wilderness Chapter 　　The story is set in 1943 Manchuria, detailing the life of Kaji, who opposes Japanese militarism during the Pacific War and fights for his humanitarian principles. The film is divided into six parts, approximately nine hours in total. The first two parts depict Kaji’s failed attempts to adopt humanitarian reforms in the treatment of Chinese workers, exploring the conscience of colonizers. The third and fourth parts describe Kaji witnessing the tragic fate of his fellow countrymen forcibly conscripted into the military. The fifth and sixth parts narrate Kaji’s struggles as a deserter in North Manchuria and his eventual death due to resistance. 　　Episodes One and Two 　　In 1943, Manchuria. Kaji works in the investigation department of a mining company. He compares the mining production capabilities of Japan and the U.S. and realizes that Japan is bound to be defeated. In a report he submitted to the company, he criticized the inhumane exploitation of Chinese workers at the mining site. The report was acknowledged by the company, leading him to be sent to the site. After marrying Michiko, Kaji begins his assignment. With the help of his predecessor, Oshida, he conducts a reform experiment in labor management based on humanitarian principles. The Japanese management staff opposed Kaji's reforms, leading to ongoing strikes. He faces problems that are beyond their resolution. The military captures anti-Japanese farmers in China, treating them as POWs and forcing them to work in mines as "special laborers." Under military police orders, Kaji is compelled to manage them, attempting to treat them humanely within the permitted limits, further increasing the hatred towards him from the Japanese onsite management and military police. Many special laborers attempt to escape. Consequently, the military police capture those unwilling to flee to execute them as a warning. When the military police reach the third person, Kaji can no longer refrain from protesting. At that moment, the leader of the special laborers, Old Wang, who he previously guarded, steps forward to threaten the military police. The military police then cease the executions. However, soon after, Kaji is arrested, tortured, and expelled from the company. He is conscripted immediately. 　　Episodes Three and Four 　　In the midst of winter, Kaji is assigned to a garrison in North Manchuria. Exhausted from forced training over consecutive days, he also endures bullying from veteran soldiers. Despite this, he excels in both physical fitness and shooting skills, quickly becoming an important soldier in his unit, where he stands up for junior soldiers. Among his friends, one is Private Shinjo, whose brother is a leftist political prisoner, and another is Private Ogura, who is criticized by veterans for being swayed by his wife's letter calling him foolish. There is also a 40-year-old conscripted veteran. Kaji helps Shinjo escape to the Soviet Union, but Ogura commits suicide in the bathroom. Kaji's wife makes a long journey to the front to see him. They receive special permission to spend a night together in the tool shed. Subsequently, following the Soviet Union's entry into the war, Kaji's unit is completely annihilated by Soviet tank divisions, leaving only a few survivors, including Kaji. 　　Episodes Five and Six 　　In North Manchuria, Kaji and the remaining soldiers flee south. Along the way, they encounter men, women, and children fleeing, and although they help, many succumb to hunger and fatigue. Kaji strives to reach a pioneering village where Japanese elderly and women remain, preparing to fight against the Soviet forces, but the Japanese women shout, "Don't fight here!" They then begin to live in a POW camp. Kaji harbors a deep hatred for the despicable Tokuhara in the camp. Later, he is falsely accused and punished with hard labor. After enduring grueling labor in the forest, he returns to the camp. Upon learning that a weak soldier he had protected was murdered by Tokuhara without any punishment, Kaji falls into despair. He kills Tokuhara and escapes from the camp. Wandering in the heavy snow across the wilderness, he recalls the beauty of his wife and gradually succumbs to the cold. 　　Film Evaluation 　　A director who reflects on humanity's excesses from a humane perspective is great. Both sides in war are human, with evil (Satan) and humanitarian (faith and redemption) residing within them. Kaji's individual realization of anti-war sentiments represents the elevation of humanity and a shift in perspective towards humanity after witnessing brutality. It is not a one-sided narrow stance but a reflection of the conscience twisted in a state of war, prompting viewers to reconsider the conflicting issues of humanitarian goodwill and succumbing to evil. 　　Behind the Scenes Editing 　　This work is regarded as one of the representative anti-war films in Japanese cinema history. The film is profound, reflecting the heavy sentiments of the Japanese during World War II and raising many questions regarding their "conscience." It narrates the ideals and failures of the Japanese during that era, the fusion of dreams and disillusionments, and the complex psychology of striving to live as humanly as possible amid the struggle as pawns of militarism. These individuals occasionally resist while also attempting to uphold humanitarian ideals, leading to a painful stance. This sharply contrasts with the current Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. The film was selected as one of Japan's top 200 classic films and won fifth and tenth places in the 1959 Kinema Junpo's Top Ten.