Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

zetes Fantastic! A crew of four on a small fishing vessel get stranded after their ship is destroyed in a storm. They have a small supply of food and water, and soon the tensions are rising. This is just a beautifully shot (in that glorious black and white widescreen that Japan of the 60s excelled at) and directed film. Shindo's use of space is outstanding. Taiji Tonoyama plays the captain, a man who lived through the starvation of the war. Kei Yamamoto plays Tonyama's young nephew. Kei Sato and Nobuko Otowa play the other two crew members, and the ones who decide that they no longer want to follow the captain's orders. This is nearly a masterpiece, but there are a couple of plot developments toward the end that feel a bit too pat. The title translates to A Man, The Man or just Human (which is the translation my subtitles settled on).