Barfuß durch die Hölle, 3. Teil: …und dann kam das Ende (1961)

Barfuß durch die Hölle, 3. Teil: …und dann kam das Ende: Directed by Masaki Kobayashi. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Tamao Nakamura, Yûsuke Kawazu. His ideals challenged by life as a conscript in war-time Japan’s military, a pacifist faces ever greater tests in his fight for survival.

“Itu0026#39;s hard to add anything to what others have written, only that Masaki Kobayashiu0026#39;s epic trilogy u0026#39;The Human Conditionu0026#39; is quite a marathon at nearly 10 hours, so youu0026#39;d be well advised to pace yourself. I found it worth pausing anyway, just to reflect on all the things Iu0026#39;d seen in chief protagonist Private Kajiu0026#39;s harrowing journey. The film never shies away from difficult moments and showing the terrible effects of wartime. I donu0026#39;t remember many parts where the character played by Tatsuya Nakadai isnu0026#39;t either in shot or watching events as they unfold uncomfortably from his point of view. This is very much a painful journey into self as well as a physical happening, as the private faces insurmountable odds and conflicts to his humanitarian beliefs.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat impressed me most about u0026#39;The Human Conditionu0026#39; was the quality of the acting and film-making throughout, Kobayashi must have had absolute commitment from everyone involved as he tried to faithfully re-enact the events of Junpei Gumikawau0026#39;s great novel. For me, the directoru0026#39;su0026#39;s work here is the ultimate u0026#39;slowburnu0026#39;, events unfolding at their own pace, steadily and powerfully!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAny highlighting of parts is bound to feel personal, possibly arbitrary, but I did find Part II u0026#39;Road to Eternityu0026#39; rather dull and disengaging as Kaji works through problems related to the barracks where heu0026#39;s stationed. Part III u0026#39;The Soldieru0026#39;s Prayeru0026#39; on the other hand opens the story up as the soldier flees the warzone in Manchuria with remnants of the Japanese Kwantung army he fought alongside. Itu0026#39;s the classic odyssey tale as Kaji aims to get home to find his wife and get his old life back. He naturally falls into the leadership role to help his fellow deserters survive, and they face many adventures and ordeals on the war-strewn way. The much wider ensemble cast of characters lend the story gravitas and interest (harking back to Part I u0026#39;No Greater Loveu0026#39; when Kaji worked as a labour camp supervisor amongst the enslaved Chinese). We ponder the human condition now with a much wider viewpoint as it unravels in the fallout of war: famine, POWu0026#39;s, refugees, hardship, chaos, cruelty and ultimately great disillusionment …u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe strains of human existence are there for all to see in Kobayashiu0026#39;s powerful critique of war, really no winners in this epic struggle … the ending becomes inevitable!”