Akai Tenshi (1966)
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura
Genres - War, Drama |
Sub-Genres - Medical Drama, War Drama |
Run Time - 95 min. |
Countries - Japan |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Jonathan Crow
Exploring many of the same themes of Robert Altman's MASH (1970), (albeit with completely distinct overtones), Akai Tenshi is a brutal portrayal of individuals clinging to their humanity while enduring the horrors of war. Set in 1939, the film concerns Sakura Nishi (Ayako Wakao), a fresh young nurse who works at a field hospital during Japan's ill-conceived advance into China. In spite of the waves of broken men arriving at the clinic and the primitive conditions at their disposal (amputation is the only treatment available), Nishi tries to heal both the physical and emotional wounds of those she encounters but runs into a series of harrowing difficulties as she tries to compete with the insanity of war.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
addiction, against-all-odds, alcoholism, doctor/nurse, drugs, impotence [lack of power], military, soldier, suicide, war, war-atrocities
Attributes
High Historical Importance, High Production Values