Fires on the Plain (1959 film)

Fires on the Plain
Fires on the Plain
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kon Ichikawa
Written by	Natto Wada
Based on	Fires on the Plain; by Shōhei Ōoka
Produced by	Masaichi Nagata
Starring	Eiji Funakoshi; Osamu Takizawa; Mickey Curtis
Narrated by	Eiji Funakoshi
Cinematography	Setsuo Kobayashi
Edited by	Tatsuji Nakashizu
Music by	Yasushi Akutagawa
Distributed by	Daiei Film
Release date	November 3, 1959;
Running time	104 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Fires on the Plain (野火, Nobi) is a 1959 Japanese war film directed by Kon Ichikawa, starring Eiji Funakoshi. The screenplay, written by Natto Wada, is based on the novel Nobi (Tokyo 1951) by Shōhei Ōoka, translated as Fires on the Plain.^[1] It initially received mixed reviews from both Japanese and international critics concerning its violence and bleak theme.^[2]^[3] In following decades, however, it has become highly regarded.^[4]

Fires on the Plain follows a tubercular Japanese private and his attempt to stay alive during the latter part of World War II. Kon Ichikawa has noted its thematic struggle between staying alive, and crossing the ultimate low.^[5]

^ Translation by Ivan Morris (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1957).
^ Russell, Catherine (2001). "Being Two Isn't Easy: The Uneasiness of the Family in 1960s Tokyo". In Quandt, James (ed.). Kon Ichikawa. Cinematheque Ontario Monographs. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Cinematheque Ontario. pp. 258. ISBN 0-9682969-3-9.
^ Olaf, Moller (July–August 2001). "Glass houses - director Kon Ichikawa - Statistical Data Included". Film Comment. 37: 30–34. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
^ "Fires on the Plain (Nobi)". Rotten Tomatoes.
^ Ichikawa, Kon (Director) (2008-06-09). Fires on the Plain, DVD Extra: Interview with the director (DVD). Criterion Collection.

[1] Translation by Ivan Morris (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1957).

[autogenerated3-2] Russell, Catherine (2001). "Being Two Isn't Easy: The Uneasiness of the Family in 1960s Tokyo". In Quandt, James (ed.). Kon Ichikawa. Cinematheque Ontario Monographs. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Cinematheque Ontario. pp. 258. ISBN 0-9682969-3-9.

[autogenerated1-3] Olaf, Moller (July–August 2001). "Glass houses - director Kon Ichikawa - Statistical Data Included". Film Comment. 37: 30–34. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-05-06.

[4] "Fires on the Plain (Nobi)". Rotten Tomatoes.

[autogenerated5-5] Ichikawa, Kon (Director) (2008-06-09). Fires on the Plain, DVD Extra: Interview with the director (DVD). Criterion Collection.

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