The great Japanese director, Kon Ichikawa, died today of pneumonia. He was the man behind such films as The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain, and Tokyo Olympiad.

The Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain both dealt with the Japanese perspective on World War II and provided different senses of the nature of war, often combining beauty with death and destruction.

If you’ve never seen an Ichikawa film, now might be the time : and learn more about the Japanese master by watching his films.

Also, there is a great essay on the making of The Burmese Harp on Criterion’s web site, I recommend giving it a read, for a taste of the article, go below the fold:

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