Kon Ichikawa

The Profile

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director celebrated for poetic war dramas and formally elegant storytelling, including The Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain, as well as the landmark documentary Tokyo Olympiad.

Renowned for The Burmese Harp (1956) and Fires on the Plain (1959); directed the official Tokyo Olympiad (1965); frequent collaborator and spouse Natto Wada wrote many of his screenplays.

Three reviews: two tongue‑in‑cheek takedowns of Alien vs. Predator 2 and one heartfelt, 5‑star salute to Ichikawa’s The Burmese Harp. Overall tone veers from gleefully snarky to contemplative. The Burmese Harp review highlights memory, mourning, and the film’s evocative forest imagery.