The Sun (Сóлнце) - A. Sokurov

Russian film, Japanese history. Director - Alexander Sokurov, who is best known for his epic Russian Ark -- a film done in 1 take, 1 shot, which would highlight him as slightly more adventurous than most directors we know today. The film is set during the final days of WW2, and is part of a series of films that centre around political figures -- the others being Hitler and Lenin. The Sun's political figure is Japanese Emperor Shōwa Hirohito.

I don't know much about Hirohito, or why he talks really weirdly in this (even when talking Japanese) -- as if his tongue's too big for his mouth, which is intriguing. Perhaps a type of etiquette? The film epitomizes character study. The directory himself claimed not to be interested with politics and what you'd be taught from, say, the History Channel, and so those subjects are partially ignored. Hirohito's in a bunker (as they all are), yet in the Imperial Palace, which is quite cozy, rather than claustrophobic hell. He reminisces not so much on the past, but on his and the future of Japan -- or lack of it. 

It's a film that requires a lot of input from the viewer, introspection on this level is better suited to novels, but Sokurov's work will appeal to (and impress) certain audiences. Refraining from spoiling the plot -- or giving you a history lesson -- this is a film about what the man was or might of been feeling at the time (and throughout his life), his responsibilities, and his reflection on possible war crime accusations, which lead to awkward meetings to dictate peace terms with an American commander. Therefore, this is a film so many viewers will be either bored with, and perhaps bitterly disappointed that they weren't getting a historical romp or a heavy political showing.

Issei Ogata is the best Japanese actor I've seen -- especially in a role like this. What makes this role even more impressive in scale and to accomplish from Ogata's perspective is the fact that this wasn't screened in Japan due to right-wing extremists getting angry over the portrayal of Hirohito, yet Ogata and the other actors still had the guts to work with Russian director (and cinematographer) Sokurov to make this wonderful exploration of a 'human being' in an incredible situation. To think we as individuals, governments, uniting bodies and every country in the world fear atomic warfare -- this was the Emperor of a country watching his world burn before his eyes -- something even the Emperor, who was considered a deity in Japan -- a God amongst men -- couldn't control, or perhaps even understand; little of us can.

Александра

This is a Russian film from 2007 directed by Alexsandr Sokurov. It is set during the Second Chechen War.

A old woman visits her grandson who she hasn't seen for 7 years at his camp. He's an officer, and is still doing his duties, but gets to talk to her here and there. She is quite a strong woman (but not irritating), and visits the nearby village, talks to the soldiers, and basically just has a wander around the area.

This is a very delicate film. Many people won't enjoy it, and will just see it as a woman wandering around a military camp, and that's it. You don't need to know the history or politics behind the war; the director has claimed the film isn't about that. I agree, I felt that's not the perspective you're given. This film isn't what you'd expect from a war film -- I don't know if it is one. There's no action, it doesn't deal with the extreme hardships of war, it doesn't show the mental and physical strain... Unless you want to think deep it doesn't show much.

I enjoyed it. I liked the woman's attitude, I thought there was great cinematography in places, the musical score worked really well. There wasn't an obvious contrast between a war going on and the relationship with her grandson, why does there need to be? I did feel that a lot of the things we are so nurtured with when it comes to seeing war in film won't be found here and can imagine reviewers calling this 'pretentious'.

We always think we know what's going on in war, we think we know what happens, and we've had a lot of that fed to us via newspapers and film. That's what makes this "war film" completely original. An atmosphere that is completely devoid of human comfort with someone's grandmother walking around talking to the soldiers and talking with the locals living in the war-torn country make this film seem so honest.