The Sun

"The Sun" is a remarkable film by Russian filmmaker Aleksandr Sokurov, which imagines the Japanese Emperor Hirohito in his daily activities just before, during and after Japan's defeat in World War II. The filming style is diaphanous and tense at the same time, with emphasis on the anachronistic gentleness and cultured manners of the Emperor God during the cataclysmic bombing of Tokyo.Hirohito is confronted by General Douglas MacArthur who “invites” him (by way of armed MPs) to a one-on-one dinner, so that MacArthur could determine for himself if Hirohito would be tried as a war criminal. The film has a very Zen-like quality to it and may not be interesting to younger viewers or those with no deeper interest in history, but this film is an absolute must for visionaries and historians who are fascinated with the period. “The Sun” is one film from Sokurov’s tetralogy of films about power and empire, particularly regarding World War II axis leaders.

Very sympathetic portrayal of the emperor and hit it right on the nose as to why Japan decided to take on the U.S., Britain and France. I was so shocked to hear that when my Japanese grandparents in the cane and pineapple fields of Maui and Oahu first heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they all cheered, "Ten no hiko banzai". Why I asked my mom? She said because my grandparents went from kids living in medieval Japan in the 1890's to witnessing a fully modern Japan take on the west with the most advanced weapons of the time, the Zero fighters. They were so proud that they helped contribute to the modernization of Japan by sending back money but more importantly contribute to what they believed was a wrong done to Japanese people and Asians in general with the U.S. cutting off all legal immigration to the U.S. in 1924 - what the Japanese in Japan in the U.S. felt was a double standard for a country who prided themselves in meritocracy and fair play. My grandparents truly believed that the emperor and Japan were part of a great push to drive the Europeans out of Asia. Ironically, asked my mom and dad about the nisei in Hawaii and their reaction at the time and they said that the day after Pearl Harbor they all lined up at the U.S. Army recruitment office to volunteer to fight off the empire of Japan, (At the time they thought there would be an eminent land invasion by the Japanese - it would have been civil war with the Nissei having to fight their Issei parents, thank the Lord that didn't happen). I think my only criticism of the movie was the very "Russian" skew of the American occupation and especially of MacArthur. From all accounts I have read it was the MacArthur respect for Japanese culture and the institution of the Emperor that spared the Emperor's life. Furthermore, for Nisei like my father who served as part of the U.S. Army elite military intelligence service sent to the Pacific front as translators and administrators - they thought of themselves as 100% American and thought of the divinity of the Emperor complete Nippon bunk.

I was very disppointed in this film, as it's inaccuracy is staggering. The film starts out before Japan's surrender, while the emperor is living in a bomb shelter on the palace grounds; the movie shows a palace above this, but virtually all the palace buildings were destroyed during allied bombings, and weren't replaced until the '60s. Then there is a scene of a cabinet meeting in which Hirohito tells the ministers that they will continue the war. Here's were the film slips into fiction - it depicts the emperor going up to his bedroom, where he awaits the arrival of the occupying Americans. No depiction or mention of the surrender, in which Hirohito played a vital role by recording and then broadcasting his surrender speech to the nation (and in which a group of hardliners tried to prevent it's broadcast). It does seem the screen writer confused this speech with his deification renunciation. In the film, it shows the emperor reaching this decision on his own, and then mentions that he recorded the speech for broadcast - in reality, the renunciation of his deity was something mandated by the US occupying forces, and he read out loud in a speech to the Diet (Japanese parliament). The film does not portray the efforts by the Japanese government or statesmen to shield the emperor from responsibility for the war, or to preserve his place in the Japanese state. The film depicts both Hirohito and McArthur as caricatures - I've read Hirohito had an unusual, stiff walk, but I don't recall ever reading that he continuously puckered his mouth like a fish out of water, as the film shows. Given the gross historical inaacuracy of this film, I can't see giving it more than one star.

very slow story the very last days and minutes of the japenese sprtual and gov ernment leader at very end of WW2;;;

realizing that my impressions are all relative to my own temperment, let me just say what i have to say without regard for your approval.i was bored. a sense of civic duty kepy me from swapping dvds to "The best of mr. monk" or some other dvds i am anxious to enjoy. and enjoying is not any part of my experience with this docu/drama.i was bothered with the slow pace. ironically the subtitles were unnecessarily fast.hirohito's mannerisms suggested he was emotionally challenged- hich while true , the point was over emphasized."i got it, i got it" i thought when another superflous scene seemed more to remind us again and again of his stifled stiff slow formalized mannerisms.and now i will do what the producers should have done-- having made my points,: bow out and pull the plug. sayonara.

A fascinating take the end of WWII from Emporer Hirohito's perspective; a fragile man, like all men, raised as a deity, but lacking any divine power.

An interesting bit of history, but a bit slow.

Me apasiono este director en Francofonia y continúa apasionándose un estilo con influencias de tarkosy y que maneja la luz de una forma brillante .Rodo la biografía de Hitler en su película Moloch diferente a lo visto hasta ahora ahora la del Emprerador Japonés Hiro hitoy Taurus Lenin una trilogía excelente para coleccionistas si olvidar la versión de Fausto de Ghoethe..

Il film racconta i giorni dell'Imperatore giapponese al momento della resa, l'incontro tra le due culture, dei vinti e dei vincitori, tanto distanti tra loro, la liberazione di un uomo che può finalmente cessare di essere considerato un dio, le tante contraddizioni e violenze, represse e sfogate, della società giapponese.Una vicenda impressionante, molto distante dal nostro modo di pensare, anche se forse più nelle forme che nella sostanza.L'audio è in giapponese e in inglese, i dialoghi in giapponese sono sottotitolati in inglese, quelle in inglese non sono sottotitolate, e quando l'imperatore parla inglese con un violento accento giapponese la comprensione non è agevole.

Ausgezeichneter Film von Sokurow. Leider nur als englische Version zu bekommen (wobei grosse Teile in japanisch sind, mit wenigen englischen Untertiteln).Ogata als Hirohito ist alleine schon den ganzen Film wert - ein fast schon körperlich nachzufühlender verlassener Mensch, dessen Mund ein fast unabhängiges Eigenleben zu führen scheint.Ein Film, der nie ein breites Publikum erreichen wird, aber ein einzigartiges Erlebnis für echte Cineasten.

Wow! I thought Emperor Hirohito had died long ago - but it seems not before shooting this fantastic film. At least that's what it seems like.This was the third part of a trilogy of films about famous leaders, the first two being Lenin and Hitler. I suppose the supreme accolade must go to the director, Alexander Sokurov, for the imaginative and wholly convincing recreation of the moment of surrender by Hirohito to General MacArthur in 1945, although the extraordinary performance of Issey Ogata as Hirohito is just a hairsbreadth away.I have read a fair amount over the years about WW II, the defeat of Japan, etc., and although this is obviously a recreation of the events as imagined by Sokurov, it seems hard to believe that we are not witnessing the real thing.I saw the previous Sokurov film in this trilogy, "Moloch", depicting Hitler, in an altogether surreal atmosphere, which for me was rather over stylized and lacked both content and gravitas. The Sun, however is of a different order altogether. Hirohito did in fact live very much in a world of his own, quite divorced from the teaming and wholly subordinate masses over which he ruled. This is exquisitely captured in the deferential and submissive way that his personal servants behave. Everyone is very respectful of everyone else, yet there is no doubt about the almost celestial reverence with which the emperor is treated. I didn't know that Hirohito himself suffered from the kind of vocal indecision or preparation before speaking that Ogata depicts, but I assume he did, since nobody could invent such an impediment in the way that Ogata performs it. Quite masterful!I'm not quite sure about the role of MacArthur. I can't quite say why, but somehow I didn't feel I was watching MacArthur. Maybe the physiognomy was wrong, or perhaps the famous pomposity that so characterized MacArthur was missing. Anyhow, he wasn't a patch on Hirohito, although a performance such as Ogata's would leave just about anyone in the shade.This is a really great work of art, perfectly captured in a washed out, gloomy colour that looks so authentic that it's difficult to believe it isn't the real thing.