The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (第一部 純愛篇／第二部 激怒篇) is a 1959 Japanese epic war drama film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. It is the first part of The Human Condition trilogy.
Contents
Plot
In World War II-era Japan, Kaji marries his sweetheart Michiko despite his misgivings about the future. To gain exemption from military service, he moves with his wife to a large mining operation in Japanese-colonized Manchuria, where he serves as a labor chief assigned to a workforce of Chinese prisoners.
Kaji aggravates the camp bureaucracy by implementing humane practices to improve both labor conditions and productivity, clashing with foremen, administrators, and the Kenpeitai military police. Ultimately his efforts to grant autonomy to the POWs are undermined by scheming officials, resulting in the electrocution of several prisoners and the beheading of others accused of attempted escape. When Kaji protests the brutality, he is tortured and then drafted into the army to relieve the camp supervisors of his disruptive presence.
Cast
Tatsuya Nakadai as Kaji
Michiyo Aratama as Michiko
Chikage Awashima as Tōfuku Kin
Ineko Arima as Shunran Yō
Sō Yamamura as Okishima
Keiji Sada as Kageyama
Kōji Nanbara as Kao (as Shinji Nanbara)
Akira Ishihama as Chen
Kōji Mitsui as Furuya
Seiji Miyaguchi as Wang Heng Li
Eitaro Ozawa as Okazaki
Toru Abe as Sergeant Watai
Junkichi Orimoto as Sai
Masao Mishima as Manager Kuroki
Kyū Sazanka as Cho Meisan
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 15 critics' reviews are positive. At the 14th Mainichi Film Awards, Giyū Miyajima won Best Cinematography for both this film and The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity.