Conceived by Shôhei Imamura, Kazuo Hara’s infamous and audacious documentary follows Kenzo Okuzaki, an ageing Japanese WW2 veteran, on a mission to uncover the truth about atrocities committed as the war in the Pacific reached its bloody end. Ultimately, Okuzaki blames Japan's Emperor Hirohito himself for these barbarities, and his obsessive pursuit of those he deems responsible soon escalates. Willing to confront the taboos of Japanese society in his fanatical quest for justice, Okuzaki is driven to unsettling acts of violence.
Harrowing and extraordinarily powerful, Hara’s film forces us to face the disturbing realities of war and, crucially, to question the complicity between filmmaker, subject and audience.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
• The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On presented from a brand new HD transfer approved by director Kazuo Hara.
• A new filmed interview with Kazuo Hara, shot exclusively for this release.
• Kazuo Hara Masterclass: the filmmaker in conversation at the 2018 London Open City Documentary Festival event.
• 20-page booklet featuring writing by film historians Tony Rayns, Jason Wood and Abé Mark Nornes.
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C)
• World premiere on Blu-ray