The Battle of Okinawa (1971)
The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are diverted to other islands. After a civilian evacuation ends in tragedy most of non-combatants are forced to remain on the island. Many convert to soldier status. Tokyo sends mixed messages that squander time and resources, as when they order the defenders to build an airstrip for aircraft that never come. The truth soon becomes obvious: the high command decides that the island cannot be held and effectively abandons the Okinawan defenders. When the Americans land many troops are deployed in the wrong places. As the slaughter mounts, a suicidal attitude takes hold. Okinawa becomes a death trap, for civilian volunteers and non-combatants as well.
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Writer:
Kaneto Shindō
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Keiju Kobayashi as General Ushijima |
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Yūzō Kayama as |
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Tetsuro Tamba as Lieutenant General Isamu Cho |
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Tatsuya Nakadai as Colonel Hiromichi Yahara |
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Mayumi Ozora as |
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Kenji Sahara as |
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Katsuhiko Sasaki as Communications Officer Miyake |
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Hideyo Amamoto as Okinawa Regional Officer |
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Ryō Ikebe as Rear Admiral Ota |
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Ichirō Nakatani as Chief of Staff Ueno |
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Gorō Mutsumi as |
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Kamatari Fujiwara as |
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Takamaru Sasaki as |
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Akira Yamanouchi as |
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Eijirō Tōno as |
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Sachio Sakai as |
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Ren Yamamoto as Sergeant Omori |
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Seishirō Kuno as |
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Chōtarō Tōgin as |
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Wataru Ōmae as |
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Shōichi Hirose as |
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Yutaka Sada as |
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Kazuo Suzuki as |
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Yutaka Nakayama as |
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Zan Fujita as |
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Hiroshi Hasegawa as |
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Masao Imafuku as |
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Kōji Iwamoto as |
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Haruya Katō as |
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Hiroyuki Kawase as |
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Naoya Kusakawa as |
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Machiko Naka as |
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Toshiko Nakano as |
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Masanobu Oki as |
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Kunie Tanaka as |
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Wakako Sakai as |
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Akira Nishikawa as |
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Kenjirō Ishiyama as |
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Shin Kishida as |
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Shigeru Kōyama as |
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Michitarō Mizushima as |
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Etsushi Takahashi as |
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Kotaro Tomita as |
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Jun Hamamura as |
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Kōji Mitsui as |
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Itaru Ose as |
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Yūsuke Kawazu as |
| Directing | Kihachi Okamoto | Director |
| Production | Hiroshi Haryu | Producer |
| Editing | Yoshitami Kuroiwa | Editor |
| Directing | Kensho Yamashita | Assistant Director |
| Directing | Yoshihiro Kawasaki | Assistant Director |
| Art | Yoshirō Muraki | Production Design |
| Production | Sanezumi Fujimoto | Producer |
| Crew | Teruyoshi Nakano | Special Effects |
| Camera | Hiroshi Murai | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Masaru Satō | Original Music Composer |
| Writing | Kaneto Shindō | Screenplay |
| Lighting | Kojiro Sato | Lighting Technician |
| Sound | Shin Watarai | Sound Recordist |