The best propaganda movie ever made. Every element of Japanese artfulness has gone into this picture. The finest in visual composition and dramatic exposition have both been harnessed to create this film, but it is not art but propaganda. It's impossible not to regard this film without realizing that this was meant to manipulate the population to suffer and sacrifice in order for the war machine to fight, kill and conquer. Compare Ichiban Utsukushiku to the German Jew Suss or the un-released Titanic or the American Hangmen Also Die or Mrs. Miniver or any of the combat films made by the waring nations and they are dreadfully crude by comparison. Maybe it can only be approached by something like Minnelli's The Clock for overall design concept and subtlety of purpose. Then again The Clock isn't full blown propaganda like Kurosawa's Ichiban Utsukushiku. How could the director, Kurosawa, (it was his second credited film) not become the great International master he became?
Review of The Most Beautiful
