Movie Digest
The real-life character Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who served nearly 30 years in the Philippines, is said to have established a world record for denial: He did not believe World War II was over, and he fought for the Imperial Army on Lubang Island until 1974, often killing civilians, according to reports.
The Feel-Good Part
The cinematography was impressive that captured the beauty of nature. There is a balance between being a spectacular apocalyptic war thriller with a darkly humorous film.
The Disappointing Factor
The pace is slow, which may lose the viewer’s attention. The almost three hours time length was unnecessary. They could have cut it down a little, and it won’t affect the overall experience.
In-Depth Analysis
Hiroo Onoda, who died in Tokyo in 2014 at the age of ninety-one, is the subject of this movie, which looks at his experiences as an intelligence officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. His claim to fame was that after being assigned to Lubang, a Philippine island, he remained on duty there until 1974, although they declared peace in 1945. The film is a massive French-Japanese-German-Belgian-Italian-Cambodian co-production that is mainly in Japanese. This stern, dismal, and occasionally darkly humorous film plays more like an absurdist slow burn. His story is incredible, but the decision to produce a movie about the last soldier of the war is surprising, considering the director is a Frenchman, Arthur Harari, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Despite its slow pace, the film never lets you down, keeping the tensions high while shifting the focus from a big and powerful military force to needing to survive in the jungle to whether the remaining soldiers will ultimately grasp the truth and give up before killing each other. The film could have succumbed to biographical movie cliches, making its main subject a military hero as he becomes the last man standing for glory and dignity. Instead, the film highlights the inconsistencies of battle with one soldier has shown as a hero facing difficulty alone and their leaders abandoning them to be alone in the forest for 30 years.
Star Power
The actors excel at portraying emotions without using words. Yuya Endo and Kanji Tsuda, who play the younger and older Onoda, did a great job with their role.
Overall Opinion
It is a remarkable cinematic experience that will be worth your time. Do give it a try!
