The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)

In the aftermath of a crushing defeat by the Soviets, Kaji, a Japanese soldier with a heart steeped in humanist principles, finds himself leading a small band of survivors through the harsh and unforgiving landscape of South Manchuria. His singular hope, amidst the turmoil and chaos, is to reunite with his beloved wife, Michiko. Their journey, fraught with danger and desperation, plunges them into a world of shifting allegiances and unexpected encounters. They navigate enemy lines, picking up other war-weary Japanese survivors along the way, their numbers swelling with the shared dream of home. But the path is not easy. They are entangled in a vicious struggle against Chinese militias and their erstwhile Soviet conquerors. When they stumble upon a Japanese village, a sanctuary of women and one elderly man, they find themselves on the precipice of a deadly confrontation. Kaji, in an act of selfless heroism, surrenders to the Soviets, sparing the villagers from a ruthless militia. In the dank confines of a Soviet labor camp, Kaji's ideals are put to the test. The parallels between the Japanese fascists and Soviet Communists become painfully clear, blurring the lines of his belief system. Once a labor manager in an age that now seems like a distant past, he is now a prisoner of war, laboring under the same oppressive regime he had once hoped would embody his faith in communism. In a final act of defiance and longing, Kaji makes the decision to escape, determined to bridge the miles that separate him from Michiko. 'A Soldier's Prayer' is a poignant exploration of the human condition, tracing the trials of a man ensnared in the iron grip of war, battling not only the world around him but also the ideals within.

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer is a drama movie featuring Tatsuya Nakadai.

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.