Solntse (The Sun)
Directed By Aleksandr Sokurov
Russia 2005
(with Financing From Italy, France and Switzerland)
Starring
Ogata Issey
Robert Dawson
Hirohito is one of the most notorious men of the 20th century. In the eyes of many outside Japan he stands with Hitler, Stalin and Mao as one of the most evil dictators to live. Millions died on his behalf. Enemies of the Empire died for their opposition to his nation's imperialism, and the soldiers and civilians of Japan died for the sake of his very name. According to Shinto, Japan's national religion, the Emperor not human but "Kami" - that is to say a god - whose existence exactly parallels the existence of the nation itself. Theologically speaking the Emperor is the embodiment of the nation. He is the soil, the people, the culture and the spirit of the islands both now and throughout her history. That is why so many fought to such extremes in the Second World War. It was not for Hirohito, the man who sat in the palace. It was for the God - the Showa Emperor - and the family of gods charged with protecting the nation.
Many foreigners in the 20th century might not understand this about how the Emperor is viewed in Japan. Perhaps some Catholics who believe that the communion bread and wine become the actual flesh and blood of Christ can fathom this intervention of divinity. Catholic doctrine states that the Eucharist is not merely a symbol of the body of Christ. Through divinity the bread and wine become the body and blood. Similarly the Emperor is not merely a symbol of Japan, but the divine embodiment of Japan. The suffering of the Emperor is the suffering of Japan and the exultation of the Emperor is Japan's glory.
As enemies we were encouraged to believe the man, Hirohito, to be a deranged, power hungry tyrant; an embodiment of evil ruthless to his enemies and perhaps even more ruthless toward those of his people who sought to disagree. This man relished the sadism of the massacre in Nanking and the Bhutan death march. He alone ordered the genocide of the Chinese and vivisections of the American prisoners of war. Behind this demon the inhuman Japanese flashed their bloodthirsty teeth. Perhaps that is the best-known image of Hirohito in the West.
Theories exist both inside and out of Japan as to Hirohito's actual involvement in the war. Some believe that he had no control over a nation kidnapped by extremists, and that he operated as merely a figurehead for the war effort. Others insist he was active in the war effort. There may be no more controversial individual throughout the 20th century, and few men continue to be as mysterious in death as in life. Aleksandr Sokurov's "The Sun" offers a courageous perspective on Hirohito in the days leading up to his declaration that the Emperor is not a God. It is an interesting perspective of a man whose idiosyncrasies of behavior reveal a gentle heart, and a troubled soul. Widely known in Japan but unknown in the West, Hirohito suffered from a form of retardation common in royal families. Sokurov and Actor Ogata Issey accentuate this ailment in ways painful for most Japanese to see, and surprising for most Westerners.
Forced by the American Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur to renounce his divinity, Hirohito struggles with his responsibility to his nation trying to determine what is best for his beloved people. Even his identity becomes unclear to himself, as Sokurov's Japan grows darker and mistier throughout the film. Finally realizing that there is no alternative Hirohito records the proclamation.
Ogata portrays the simplicity of the man along with his complexities and his weaknesses. It's a portrayal that was shocking in both East and West. Reactions in Japan ranged from surprise to outrage. Ogata's name became synonymous with controversy and he spent time blacklisted from the Japanese film industry. The unwritten rule of Japanese cinema is that the Emperor is portrayed only when necessary, almost always in shadow and never in anything that might be considered a bad light. Certainly Ogata's accentuation of the human characteristics of Hirohito - the frailness, the social awkwardness and the weakness - he portrayed are clearly violate this rule. In fact in the eyes of many Ogata's portrayal was as much a mockery of the Showa emperor as an honest interpretation. As Christians may balk at a human portrayal of Christ, many Japanese felt Ogata's Hirohito was sacrilegious.
Perhaps as surprising was the contrast between the gentle, even kind Hirohito of Sokurov and Ogata and that of the deranged dictator who commanded kamikazes and civilian troops into battle. Was this man so gentle, so harmless, and so preoccupied with science and nature? How could such a man have controlled a war so brutal? Those are the sorts of questions Westerners may ask of this Hirohito. Did he know what was going on? Was he kept so far from the war that news of it arrived to him as it did the rest of Japan?
Sokurov doesn't attempt to guess where Hirohito was during the war, although as he makes his way to the underground briefing rooms of his home, some may insist that he was far away from the strategy tables. The Hirohito we see has already lost the war. His advisers and military chiefs are gone and he is again alone in leading the nation.
Much of what Sokurov does in this film is courageous and intriguing, and in keeping with his sense of image, the film is photographed beautifully. In contrast to the title, the film is dark, misty, and shadowy. The colors are washed out. There is no color left in Japan anymore. However, Sokurov was unable to resist the temptation to make a political film. Perhaps his treatment of the American General MacArthur and the meetings with the Emperor and the American are the downfall of the film. Like Hirohito, this is not the MacArthur we learned about in history, but unlike Ogata's rich portrayal of the controversial man, Robert Dawson's two dimensional interpretation of a cardboard MacArthur leads us to doubt the authenticity of the entire movie. While I am convinced most Japanese reviewers panned the film for it's unrealistic portrayal of Hirohito, I must point out a similar weakness in the character of MacArthur. After seeing this movie we have no idea who MacArthur is, and because of that we can't possibly understand the relationship between the two men. Without knowing that relationship, the film relegates itself to the character sketch of a single man. We have lost the contrast and the struggle that provides the story. In the end I'm not sure whether what Sokurov is saying is truth.Labels: Issey Ogata, Japanese Film
Many foreigners in the 20th century might not understand this about how the Emperor is viewed in Japan. Perhaps some Catholics who believe that the communion bread and wine become the actual flesh and blood of Christ can fathom this intervention of divinity. Catholic doctrine states that the Eucharist is not merely a symbol of the body of Christ. Through divinity the bread and wine become the body and blood. Similarly the Emperor is not merely a symbol of Japan, but the divine embodiment of Japan. The suffering of the Emperor is the suffering of Japan and the exultation of the Emperor is Japan's glory.
Theories exist both inside and out of Japan as to Hirohito's actual involvement in the war. Some believe that he had no control over a nation kidnapped by extremists, and that he operated as merely a figurehead for the war effort. Others insist he was active in the war effort. There may be no more controversial individual throughout the 20th century, and few men continue to be as mysterious in death as in life. Aleksandr Sokurov's "The Sun" offers a courageous perspective on Hirohito in the days leading up to his declaration that the Emperor is not a God. It is an interesting perspective of a man whose idiosyncrasies of behavior reveal a gentle heart, and a troubled soul. Widely known in Japan but unknown in the West, Hirohito suffered from a form of retardation common in royal families. Sokurov and Actor Ogata Issey accentuate this ailment in ways painful for most Japanese to see, and surprising for most Westerners.
