"History Never Repeats... I tell myself before I goto sleep." - Split Enz
By 1945, the Japanese forces were suffering losses on the battle front. To win the war by biological warfare, the military Headquarters reinstated a Lt. General to be the Squadron commander. Yet this person had previously been relieved off this post because of corruption. This man, the inventor of the Ishit Water Purifier. A medical doctor, Lt. Ishii Shiro. A group of young soldiers were sent to Harbin to provide new blood for this squadron. The banks of Song Hua River...
Perhaps the most honest look at war I have ever witnessed, Men Behind the Sun does not spare us or grant us comfort lies, there are no masks, no pretty patriotic ideals to hide behind, only the fact of war and what man can become when the lines of morality and survival become blurred.
The Philosophy of the cat goes something like this:
"A smart rat can beat a cat. Fleas and germs can defeat bombers and guns too! This is...my theory behind 731 Squadron. It is also my philosophy. For victory, we shall groom the strongest and nurture them, the same applies for the Youth Corps." - Lt. Ishii Shiro, Men Behind the Sun
Once Nagasaki was bombed, it proclaimed the end of the war, and the unit was destroyed, all data burned. Years spent experimenting in atrocities for data that was worthless to mankind, and incinerated in fire.
Suicide pills were handed out to man, woman, and child if it came down to possible capture as retreat was inevitable.
When I watched this movie I could not deny that these atrocities occurred. If you go into this movie looking for realistic gore you're missing the point of the movie. A movie is made to teach us something, about humanity, or the lack thereof, in the desperate struggle to understand, and survive, and the lengths some will go to to that end.
Men Behind the Sun as a film had some charismatic characters, in a environment I cannot begin to understand or nightmare to ever experience.
One can only appreciate how good we have it, and feel great sorrow in the face of what war does to mankind's morality.
Men Behind the Sun is well made in nearly every respect, and though difficult to swallow at times one may wonder what it means the imagery of the men behind the sun...
The sun of the Japanese flag and the powers that be, or Men wielding cruel power in the faceless mask of the infinite... the cast shadow from this sun is our own fear and only in facing this fear can we assure, that history does never repeat.
Little boy carries his dreams and gun Child drops a ball to the stone cold ground Fire envelops the men behind the sun When history repeats it will make no sound.
Woman is the sun that has been forgot In the quest for power man has sought Ceaseless sorrow without end To learn or begin all over again
By 1945, the Japanese forces were suffering losses on the battle front. To win the war by biological warfare, the military Headquarters reinstated a Lt. General to be the Squadron commander. Yet this person had previously been relieved off this post because of corruption. This man, the inventor of the Ishit Water Purifier. A medical doctor, Lt. Ishii Shiro. A group of young soldiers were sent to Harbin to provide new blood for this squadron. The banks of Song Hua River...
Perhaps the most honest look at war I have ever witnessed, Men Behind the Sun does not spare us or grant us comfort lies, there are no masks, no pretty patriotic ideals to hide behind, only the fact of war and what man can become when the lines of morality and survival become blurred.
The Philosophy of the cat goes something like this:
"A smart rat can beat a cat. Fleas and germs can defeat bombers and guns too! This is...my theory behind 731 Squadron. It is also my philosophy. For victory, we shall groom the strongest and nurture them, the same applies for the Youth Corps." - Lt. Ishii Shiro, Men Behind the Sun
Once Nagasaki was bombed, it proclaimed the end of the war, and the unit was destroyed, all data burned. Years spent experimenting in atrocities for data that was worthless to mankind, and incinerated in fire.
Suicide pills were handed out to man, woman, and child if it came down to possible capture as retreat was inevitable.
When I watched this movie I could not deny that these atrocities occurred. If you go into this movie looking for realistic gore you're missing the point of the movie. A movie is made to teach us something, about humanity, or the lack thereof, in the desperate struggle to understand, and survive, and the lengths some will go to to that end.
Men Behind the Sun as a film had some charismatic characters, in a environment I cannot begin to understand or nightmare to ever experience.
One can only appreciate how good we have it, and feel great sorrow in the face of what war does to mankind's morality.
Men Behind the Sun is well made in nearly every respect, and though difficult to swallow at times one may wonder what it means the imagery of the men behind the sun...
The sun of the Japanese flag and the powers that be, or Men wielding cruel power in the faceless mask of the infinite... the cast shadow from this sun is our own fear and only in facing this fear can we assure, that history does never repeat.
Little boy carries his dreams and gun Child drops a ball to the stone cold ground Fire envelops the men behind the sun When history repeats it will make no sound.
Woman is the sun that has been forgot In the quest for power man has sought Ceaseless sorrow without end To learn or begin all over again
- Jonathan M Berman Sep 19 2005 Dedicated to those who have lost their lives in WW II