(1944) The Most Beautiful
(In Japanese with English subtitles)
DRAMA
Propaganda piece of film making during the time when the Japanese declared war against America, Great Britain and China. And instead of focusing on the war itself - it focuses the story on a small group of young teenage female workers working on an optics factory, making optical lenses for the Japanese cause! That if the girls wanted to earn almost as much pay as the men then they should prove to management that they're able to increase their productivity with the men as well! While attempting to doing this, a lot of troubles and tribulations start to arise such as sicknesses, a broken leg and a death in a family- all of this as a result of living away from their families to contribute to the war effort! This is a fascinating character study from director Akira Kurosawa about a particular time in Japanese history, if one were to be curious enough about what the Japanese did during that time of war and at the same time being totally cut away from England and especially the United States, that some would sing on the streets chanting their propaganda song every day before going to work for instance and the propaganda slogans on the walls on the factory, all of this was happening while at war with Japan during WWII. And in comparison to other propaganda films such as Germany's "Triumph of the Will" and the American movie from The Duke, John Wayne "The Green Berets"- this one is probably one of the most "subtle" one of all!
Propaganda piece of film making during the time when the Japanese declared war against America, Great Britain and China. And instead of focusing on the war itself - it focuses the story on a small group of young teenage female workers working on an optics factory, making optical lenses for the Japanese cause! That if the girls wanted to earn almost as much pay as the men then they should prove to management that they're able to increase their productivity with the men as well! While attempting to doing this, a lot of troubles and tribulations start to arise such as sicknesses, a broken leg and a death in a family- all of this as a result of living away from their families to contribute to the war effort! This is a fascinating character study from director Akira Kurosawa about a particular time in Japanese history, if one were to be curious enough about what the Japanese did during that time of war and at the same time being totally cut away from England and especially the United States, that some would sing on the streets chanting their propaganda song every day before going to work for instance and the propaganda slogans on the walls on the factory, all of this was happening while at war with Japan during WWII. And in comparison to other propaganda films such as Germany's "Triumph of the Will" and the American movie from The Duke, John Wayne "The Green Berets"- this one is probably one of the most "subtle" one of all!