Fires on the Plain
Seen it?1959 | 105 min | Drama, War
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved Hacksaw Ridge or The Thin Red Line, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 45 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1959: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
In the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier afflicted with tuberculosis is abandoned by his company and left to wander the Philippine island of Leyte.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 24K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
- Eiji FunakoshiTamura
- Osamu TakizawaYasuda
- Mickey CurtisNagamatsu
- Hikaru HoshiSoldier
- Mantarō UshioSergeant
- Masaya TsukidaSoldier
- Koh SugitaSoldier
- Yoshihiro HamaguchiOfficer
- Tatsuya IshiguroUnshaven Army Doctor
- Yoshio InabaSquad Leader