The Sun (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Sun


image_size =
caption = Russian poster
director = Alexander Sokurov
producer = Igor Kallenof
Marco Muller
Andrei Sigle
writer = Yuri Arabov
starring = Issei Ogata
Robert Dawson
music = Andrei Sigle
cinematography = Alexander Sokurov
editing = Sergei Ivanov
distributor =
released = 2005
runtime = 115 min
country =
language = Japanese
English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by = Taurus
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0439817|

"The Sun" ( _ru. "Сóлнце", "Solntse") is a 2005 Russian biographical film about Japanese Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) directed by Alexander Sokurov. The film is the third in Sokurov's planned tetralogy on the leaders of Russia (Taurus about Lenin), Germany (Moloch about Hitler), Japan and another unknown world leader. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/08/19/the_sun_2005_review.shtml The Sun (Solntse) (2005) Reviewed by Jamie Woolley] bbc.co.uk]

ynopsis

The film focus on the meeting between Emperor Shōwa and General Douglas MacArthur after the Empire of Japan's defeat in World War II.

Historical accuracy

Having confessed himself not "being interested in the history or politics which took place, not really interested in historical events or the period" [ [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/ber4-m11.shtml Aesthetic choices: Aleksandr Sokurov’s The Sun] World Socialist Web Site] , Sokurov gives a personal impression of Hirohito and choose to omit all references to questions surrounding the Tokyo tribunal about the personal responsibility of the emperor as head of the Imperial General Headquarters and thus in the Japanese war crimes. This choice reflects even in the events such as the imperial conference between the emperor and his council and the meeting between Hirohito and MacArthur where none of the words are related to imperial interpreter Katsuzô Okumura's transcript. Thus, as Okumura noted that the general praised the emperor's "august virtue" ("miitsu") [John Dower, "Embracing Defeat", 1999, p.296] , Sokurov present a tense meeting where MacArthur clearly show his disrespect and Hirohito is confused and talking to himself.

According to "The Times", the film has not been widely screened in Japan due to fears of violence from right wing extremists over its portrayal of Hirohito.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0439817|title=The Sun
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10005788-the_sun/ Rotten Tomatoes entry]