Kon Ichikawa's 1956 antiwar film was widely hailed at the time of its release for its power and commitment, though by today's standards it's likely to appear uncomfortably didactic.

The Burmese Harp, just as the titular instrument suggests songs without filling them out, is a slight film that suggests the heavy human toll of war without actually presenting it.

Thoroughly engrossing in its humanism and often heartbreakingly beautiful in both tone and image.

This is the pic that brought international acclaim to Ichikawa.