the emperor in august

It's only natural to be intimidated of a movie as steeped in historical minutia as The Emperor in August (2015). Not only does it propose to dissect the Japanese decision to surrender to the Allies at the end of WWII, but does so from the Japanese perspective; a complex system of centuries-old traditions and cultural expectations that make the very concept of defeat grounds for ritual suicide. And yet Emperor Hirohito pushed for a peaceful end to the conflict to save his country from total destruction...while the army was planning a coup to save face.

Director Masato Harada's film has a bit of a learning curve as we're introduced to the major historical players. Retired politician Kantaro Suzuki is talked out of retirement to become Prime Minister, handpicked by the Emperor to shepherd the war to a respectable resolution. But there are still those hungry for a "Decisive Battle," confident that a national kamikaze mission would ensure victory. Even Colonel Anami, Suzuki's choice for Minister of the Army, is reticent to accept the Potsdam Declaration, which would put his country's sovereignty in doubt.

Major Hatanaka, however, has no doubts that a grave error is about to be made. Gathering a rabid gang of followers, he pushes for martial law to prevent the government from making the surrender official, even scrambling to intercept a recording made by the Emperor before it gets to the radio station. Love of country causes him to cross the line from patriot to traitor in the course of one night. Meanwhile, Suzuki struggles through meeting after meeting in an attempt to win over those few cabinet members who simply refuse to accept defeat.

If nothing else, The Emperor in August makes it clear just how miraculous Japan's surrender really was. There were more than enough officials in power willing to see the general population wiped out rather than accept the inevitable. But the film credits Emperor Hirohito (played by Masahiro Motoki), a poet and naturalist, with subtly pushing towards peace within a convoluted political structure. The film itself does a remarkable job of making the dichotomy dramatic, especially in the case of Colonel Anami, a swing vote in the proposed coup who, tragically, becomes one of the war's last victims.

Harada's film might be a tough sell for those not interested in the nuances of history...or those still not ready to forgive Japan for its reprehensible actions during the war itself. But The Emperor in August, for all its emphasis on power struggles and governmental bureaucracy, isn't really interested in politics. It's the small moments set against one of the largest stages in Japanese history that make the most poignant impressions; scenes of humanity amidst the chaos that forced a country set on self-destruction to dramatically change course. Now that's a lesson that bears repeating.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray is another rare "recent" titles, but completely worthy of inclusion in their library of classics. The transfer is pristine and extras include an isolated music track, trailer and liner notes.