The Burmese Harp (Blu-Ray, #379)

An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. Magnificently shot in hushed black and white, Kon IchikawasThe Burmese Harpis an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinemas most overwhelming antiwar sentiments, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japans wartime legacy.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Interviews with director Kon Ichikawa and actor Rentaro Mikuni
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns

  Cover by Michael Boland