[.ca] The Burmese Harp (Criterion Collection)

The Difficulty Of Being A Good Buddhist:
Many people, when they think of Buddhism, think of blissful meditation and serene contemplation. This movie graphically depicts the other side of Buddhism;i.e., hard work in the real world, in the real transformation of oneself and in one's efforts to help other beings, no matter how difficult or horrific the circumstances. The film concerns a Japanese soldier separated from his unit in Burma, at the very end of WW II and its immediate aftermath. As he journeys to find his unit in a POW camp, he is confronted, at every turn in this wasteland of war, with dead and unburied fellow Japanese soldiers. At first, he disguises himself as a Buddhist monk (knowing that the Burmese respect and feed their monks). When he comes across British hospital staff burying an unknown Japanese soldier, with a formal Christian burial service and great respect, he is transformed. He recalls the hundreds of dead and unburied Japanese soldiers he had seen in his journey, he becomes a true Buddhist monk, and makes a singular and difficult vow; he will not return to Japan until he has buried all of the corpses he had seen. So he goes back, and begins his work. Hardly blissful meditation, this. But he personifies what the Buddha taught; the purpose of Life is to be happy, but true happiness can only come from serving others. This soldier/monk, in devoting his life to active, difficult and gruesome work, is more a true fulfillment of the Buddha's teachings than is one who meditates on the weekend and wears prayer beads because it is "cool." Sorry to sermonize, but this movie is not only a wonderful work of cinema, it is a Buddhist teaching in itself. Compassion MUST be coupled with the very difficult work of serving others.

The Harp of Burma:
I first saw this film in the early '70's, on a PBS Japanese Film Festival, and never forgot it. I have been trying to buy this movie for years, and was finally able to find a copy here. It is very beautiful and serene. I usually describe a movie orally and in detail, so to write about it is difficult for me. The harp-playing hero wanders through a war-torn land trying to return to his comrades who are in a British POW camp. On this odyssey, he encounters the dead bodies of many unburied soldiers. A conversion begins to take place within him, and he is strongly affected by these powerful images. He begins to travel through Burma burying the dead, and becomes integrated into a Buddhist sect. By the time he sees his old comrades, he has become too changed to rejoin them. They, on the other hand, try several methods to convince him to come home with them. This is a thoughtful film, and I recommend it highly to all ages.

One Scene Stands Out:
I won't restate what was said by those earlier reviewers who found this to be an amazing film. I agree and it has always been on my "Top Ten" list. I would add only one thing. The climactic scene in which the converted monk sits at night talking to his former fellow soliders who are behind a tall chainlink fence (they are now in a POW camp waiting to be shipped home to Japan) is one of the most moving moments I've ever experienced. This once scene captures exactly what it means for the individual to follow his (or her) own destiny.