brilliant actors, brilliant editing

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Two part BBC documentary on the Japanese in World War Two focusing on why they did what they did psychologically. Very good, but not great, the film scores most of its points early where it explains why Japan went to war and why they behaved so badly. Its enlightening since it clearly puts the mindset of superiority the Japanese held in to stark relief. The film is equally stark when a couple of American soldiers reveal views of the Japanese that mirror how the Japanese saw foreigners.There is also a clear explanation of why the Japanese went on suicide missions when they really didn't want to die. Definitely worth a rental or taping should it show up on History or the Military Channel.

While most documentaries about Imperial Japan focus on Pearl Harbor and the war that followed, this solid BBC production covers Japanese activities in Asia in the 1930s. Without sensationalizing or demonizing, it shows how the Japanese notion of racial superiority and the military's inhumane training of its own soldiers made it easier to brutalize civilians following the 1937 invasion of China. After indiscriminate bombing of Chinese cities by Japan's air force, the empire's army invaded and began committing atrocities to rival Nazi crimes in Europe. Thousands of women were gang raped and living men were used for bayonet practice. I'd recommend it for high school classroom use, although teachers should be aware it contains graphic images of Chinese casualties.