
A Cinematic Critique of Japanese History, Week 3 - The Burmese Harp (1956)
From MRAC Film Club by MRAC Film Club
April 29, 2026 · 1h 37m
About this episode
The episode discusses the film The Burmese Harp and its themes of spiritual transformation and Japanese history during World War II.
Episode 132 - Pack your bags, and make sure you pack lightly because you might have to walk 200 miles across Burma. This week we are watching and discussing The Burmese Harp (1956), a story of a Japanese soldier in WW2 Burma. After the war ends, the solder, Mizushima, goes through a spiritual transformation and adopts the lifestyle of a buddhist monk. A classic Marco choice, join us as we go through our own spiritual quest and break this one down. And tune in next week as we wrap up Critical Japanese History month with Kuroneko (1968) email us at mracfilmclub@gmail.com
People in this episode
Host: Marco
Topics covered
- Japanese history
- spiritual transformation
- World War II
- film critique
- buddhism
- cinema
Keywords
- The Burmese Harp
- Japanese soldier
- spiritual quest
- World War II
- buddhist monk
- film discussion
- Marco
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Burmese Harp, Kuroneko
More episodes of MRAC Film Club
- Top Dog, Week 5 - Vice (2018) · June 5, 2026 · 1h 37m
- Top Dog, Week 4 - Frost/Nixon (2008) · May 29, 2026 · 1h 31m
- Top Dog, Week 3 - The Death of Stalin (2017) · May 25, 2026 · 58 min
- Top Dog, Week 2 - The Great Dictator (1940) · May 16, 2026 · 1h 23m
- Top Dog, Week 1 - Firebrand (2023) · May 9, 2026 · 1h 35m
- A Cinematic Critique of Japanese History, Week 4 - Kuroneko (1968) · May 5, 2026 · 1h 35m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the MRAC Film Club podcast page.