Nihon Onigo
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Minoru Matsui
Minoru Matsui
Minoru Matsui
Minoru Matsui
Kenichi Oguri
Kenichi Oguri
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
From 1931 to 1945, the Japanese Imperial Army waged a brutally aggressive war against China and Manchuria. Carrying out the will of an emperor they believed was of divine descent, Japanese soldiers were convinced they were fighting a holy war. Once reviled as "soldiers of the devil" throughout China and Southeast Asia, the 14 Imperial Army veterans who offer their confessions here are now fathers and grandfathers. Between them they offer a piercing perspective on an extensive catalogue of cruelty. "I completely lost my humanity, I lost my human consciousness," says one man. "The more I killed, the more I began to enjoy it." The film confronts a reign of terror which has yet to be fully addressed. The stark confessions lay bare the conditions in which the atrocities of war become routine, a standard of achievement and acceptance among fellow soldiers. In so doing, they provide essential insights for future generations.
Director
Minoru Matsui
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Forum) February 7-18, 2001.
Shown at Toronto International Film Festival (Real to Reel) September 6-15, 2001.
16mm from digital video
color
dialogue Japanese
