Some documentaries are brought to life by the skill of the director; others don't need it as the subject is so compelling. Kazuo Hara's documentary about the journey for justice of Second World War veteran Kenzo Okuzaki fits into both categories, but as this one-man army takes on an army of war veterans, the man in front of the camera is as much directing the man behind it as vice versa.
At the suggestion of Shohei Imamura, Hara's documentary follows the voyage of Okuzaki to unearth the truth about the deaths of some soldiers stationed in New Guinea four decades after the end of the war. A well documented period of hell for all sides involved, Okuzaki has made it his personal mission to force soldiers involved in the deaths of three soldiers in two separate incidents. To do this, he goes, one-by-one, to each of the soldiers involved still alive demanding their confession as to what occurred. Naturally, he is met with reluctance.
His up-front questions, initially posed with a polite manner, are met with lies, claims of forgetting the exact details and a simple desire to not speak about what happened in the past. But Okuzaki is not a man to lie down at a half-hearted response. A former convict, as well as soldier, having spent a number of years in prison for murder and dissemination of pornographic material featuring the Emperor, as well as taking a shot at the man himself. If Okuzaki does not like the response, he becomes forceful, even violent, until he gets the answer he knows is correct.
Obviously, Okuzaki himself is not a man completely without sin, but having time to think over his deeds in lengthy prison terms, he is determined to see those he sees as responsible for war crimes exposed - the Emperor his most wanted man. He will use any means necessary until the truth is revealed.
Okuzaki is a violent spirit. While he is now a self-appointed judge on these former soldiers, his actions are far from on the right side of the law. To start, he approaches each with politeness, but at times unexpected to his poor 'victims.' Whether in the early hours, in the hospital or at their place of work, he shows up to talk, and he won't leave until he likes what he hears. Once sat down at the table, his determination knows no bounds. He is also happy to use the dark arts, with stand-ins for family members of the dead soldiers to further cajole the truth to the surface.
He is very non-Japanese in this way. The soldiers he confronts all would rather forget about the past. Seemingly having come to an agreement to never reveal the truth of what happened, this is the story they all initially stick to. The difficulties in Japan with accepting responsibility for what happened during the Second World War a firm example of the Japanese psyche for not lamenting on what has occurred and simply moving forward without question.
His persistence gradually exposes cracks; and like a good TV detective, he pushes these cracks on to the next witness to reveal more and more until the full story emerges. The truth is shocking, but one that Okuzaki is well aware of and takes in his stride. He is not so much concerned by what happened, but that those involved admit to it.
This is a push to take responsibility for what happened - he paid his time for his crimes, these soldiers should at least acknowledge and live with theirs, rather than simply pushing them aside. But these are not events that can ever be forgotten, hence why he doesn't accept initial meagre responses. While initially reluctant, eventually the soldiers talk about what happened as if in a therapy session. Okuzaki is an accuser, but also a facilitator, as if this is the moment they had been choosing to avoid, but knew one day would come.
Okuzaki is a fearless man, and so is Hara's camera. He follows his subject into the lives of these soldiers and keeps it rolling. This leaves very awkward, but also very revealing scenes of a determination on both sides, often resulting in violence; or a heated debate over a can of Fanta. Okuzaki knows where he wants Hara's camera to be, and Hara duly obliges. Unlike the war, all will be documented.
Okuzaki is the nucleus with everyone else the electrons spinning around him. Hara takes a step back to observe all that happens, not showing Okuzaki to be right or wrong, but simply a man determined. The real family members of the dead lose heart once more is exposed, and Okuzaki is not afraid to call them weak for this. He will keep fighting to the end. But by the end, like for all those involved, will he ever be able to truly reach peace? Not while the Emperor's army marches on (exposed, or otherwise).
politic1983.home.blog
At the suggestion of Shohei Imamura, Hara's documentary follows the voyage of Okuzaki to unearth the truth about the deaths of some soldiers stationed in New Guinea four decades after the end of the war. A well documented period of hell for all sides involved, Okuzaki has made it his personal mission to force soldiers involved in the deaths of three soldiers in two separate incidents. To do this, he goes, one-by-one, to each of the soldiers involved still alive demanding their confession as to what occurred. Naturally, he is met with reluctance.
His up-front questions, initially posed with a polite manner, are met with lies, claims of forgetting the exact details and a simple desire to not speak about what happened in the past. But Okuzaki is not a man to lie down at a half-hearted response. A former convict, as well as soldier, having spent a number of years in prison for murder and dissemination of pornographic material featuring the Emperor, as well as taking a shot at the man himself. If Okuzaki does not like the response, he becomes forceful, even violent, until he gets the answer he knows is correct.
Obviously, Okuzaki himself is not a man completely without sin, but having time to think over his deeds in lengthy prison terms, he is determined to see those he sees as responsible for war crimes exposed - the Emperor his most wanted man. He will use any means necessary until the truth is revealed.
Okuzaki is a violent spirit. While he is now a self-appointed judge on these former soldiers, his actions are far from on the right side of the law. To start, he approaches each with politeness, but at times unexpected to his poor 'victims.' Whether in the early hours, in the hospital or at their place of work, he shows up to talk, and he won't leave until he likes what he hears. Once sat down at the table, his determination knows no bounds. He is also happy to use the dark arts, with stand-ins for family members of the dead soldiers to further cajole the truth to the surface.
He is very non-Japanese in this way. The soldiers he confronts all would rather forget about the past. Seemingly having come to an agreement to never reveal the truth of what happened, this is the story they all initially stick to. The difficulties in Japan with accepting responsibility for what happened during the Second World War a firm example of the Japanese psyche for not lamenting on what has occurred and simply moving forward without question.
His persistence gradually exposes cracks; and like a good TV detective, he pushes these cracks on to the next witness to reveal more and more until the full story emerges. The truth is shocking, but one that Okuzaki is well aware of and takes in his stride. He is not so much concerned by what happened, but that those involved admit to it.
This is a push to take responsibility for what happened - he paid his time for his crimes, these soldiers should at least acknowledge and live with theirs, rather than simply pushing them aside. But these are not events that can ever be forgotten, hence why he doesn't accept initial meagre responses. While initially reluctant, eventually the soldiers talk about what happened as if in a therapy session. Okuzaki is an accuser, but also a facilitator, as if this is the moment they had been choosing to avoid, but knew one day would come.
Okuzaki is a fearless man, and so is Hara's camera. He follows his subject into the lives of these soldiers and keeps it rolling. This leaves very awkward, but also very revealing scenes of a determination on both sides, often resulting in violence; or a heated debate over a can of Fanta. Okuzaki knows where he wants Hara's camera to be, and Hara duly obliges. Unlike the war, all will be documented.
Okuzaki is the nucleus with everyone else the electrons spinning around him. Hara takes a step back to observe all that happens, not showing Okuzaki to be right or wrong, but simply a man determined. The real family members of the dead lose heart once more is exposed, and Okuzaki is not afraid to call them weak for this. He will keep fighting to the end. But by the end, like for all those involved, will he ever be able to truly reach peace? Not while the Emperor's army marches on (exposed, or otherwise).
politic1983.home.blog