NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective disc.

ADDITION: Criterion 4K UHD / Blu-ray (August 2025): Criterion have transferred Kon Ichikawa’s 1956 The Burmese Harp to Blu-ray and 4K UHD. It is cited as a "New 4K digital restoration" with "one 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features". The Blu-ray is also sold separately. We compared the Criterion DVD to the Masters of Cinema Blu-ray back in 2010 HERE.

While we are in possession of the 4K UHD disc, we cannot resolve the encode yet, and therefore, cannot obtain screen captures. We hope to add to this review at some point in the future. So, the below captures are from Criterion's 2025 1080P Blu-ray transfer.

Like 4K UHD transfers of The Long Wait, I, the Jury, and many others below, Criterion's 2160P transfer of The Burmese Harp does not have HDR applied (no HDR10, HDR10+, nor Dolby Vision.) We have seen many other 4K UHD transfers without HDR; Mondo Macabro's Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf, Cult Film's Django 4K UHD, Umbrella's 4K UHD transfer of Peter Weir's The Last Wave, Radiance's Palindromes, and Criterion's 4K UHD transfers of Fires on the Plain, Killer of Sheep, Chungking Express, Winchester '73, The Mother and the Whore, I Am Cuba, The Others, Rules of the Game, Branded to Kill, In the Mood For Love, Night of the Living Dead, and further examples, Masters of Cinema's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Kino's 4K UHDs of Bob le Flambeur, Last Year at Marienbad, Nostalghia, The Apartment, For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, In the Heat of the Night, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as Koch Media's Neon Demon + one of the 4K UHD transfers of Dario Argento's Suspiria.  

The transfer relies on enhanced contrast and detail to highlight the poetic beauty of Burma's landscapes and the subtle emotional nuances in the soldiers' faces. Sourced from the original 35mm negative, the 2022 restoration reveals intricate textures in the jungle foliage, sun-dappled paths, and symbolic imagery like the harp against expansive horizons, with natural film grain preserved for an authentic, organic look that avoids digital artifacts. Compared to earlier Masters of Cinema Blu-ray releases, which suffered from muddy contrast and less refined shadow details, this Blu-ray and 4K UHD version offers sharper clarity in wide shots and more depth in monochromatic gradations, making Mizushima's spiritual journey feel even more immersive and timeless. Dark, at times, this HD presentation looks magnificent.

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution 4K UHD captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray and 4K UHD, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. Sound in The Burmese Harp is pivotal, with Akira Ifukube's (The Snow Woman, Battle in Outer Space, Anatahan, The Mysterians, the original Godzilla - and other Godzilla features like King Kong Escapes - the bulk of Zatoichi series, plus Kurosawa's The Quiet Duel and many others) restrained score and the integration of choral singing and harp melodies functioning as both diegetic and thematic elements that foster unity and redemption. The music - featuring traditional Japanese tunes, Western hymns like "Home, Sweet Home," and the haunting strains of the Burmese harp - represents cultural bridging and morale-building, as soldiers burst into harmonious song amid the chaos, their voices echoing through jungles to signal safety or sorrow. Ifukube's compositions are gentle and lilting, avoiding melodrama by employing minimal background music, which heightens the contrast between silence and sound; moments of quiet underscore the weight of unburied dead, while the harp's plaintive notes evoke memory and mourning, symbolizing Mizushima's spiritual journey. Sound design is sparse yet effective, with ambient jungle noises, distant echoes of battle, and the resonant timbre of group singing creating an auditory texture that immerses viewers in the postwar limbo, though some critiques highlight occasional sentimentality in the musical interludes that border on the unreal. The mono presentation captures the harp's plaintive melodies with warmth and precision, while ambient jungle sounds and distant echoes add subtle atmospheric depth without any distortion or hiss, benefiting from Criterion's meticulous cleanup. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray and Region FREE 4K UHD.

Criterion's 4K UHD package duplicates the 2007 DVD's special features - available on the accompanying Blu-ray disc, starting with a 1/4 hour interview with director Kon Ichikawa discussing his adaptation process and anti-war themes, paired with a dozen minute conversation with actor Rentaro Mikuni (Harakiri, Vengeance Is Mine, Rikyu) reflecting on his role as Captain Inouye and the production's challenges in postwar Japan. An original trailer rounds out the on-disc content, offering a glimpse into the film's initial marketing as a pacifist fable. The package is further elevated by an essay from critic and historian Tony Rayns (King of the Children: And the New Chinese Cinema) in the accompanying booklet, which explores the film's Buddhist undertones and its place in Ichikawa's oeuvre.

Kon Ichikawa’s The Burmese Harp is a poignant anti-war film adapted from Michio Takeyama's 1946 children's novel, marking a significant entry in postwar Japanese cinema's exploration of World War II's aftermath. Directed by Ichikawa and scripted by his wife Natto Wada, the film shifts the novel's Christian undertones toward Buddhist humanism, focusing on a Japanese soldier's spiritual transformation in Burma (now Myanmar) during the war's closing days. Produced by Nikkatsu Studios amid Japan's economic recovery, the film contrasts with Ichikawa's later, bleaker Fires on the Plain (1959) by offering redemption through music and spirituality, yet it critiques militarism by portraying war's moral chaos and the path to reconciliation. Private Mizushima embodies the film's humanist core: initially a cheerful harpist fostering unit harmony, his wartime ordeals catalyze a profound metamorphosis into a solitary monk dedicated to burying the dead. Shoji Yasui's performance conveys quiet intensity, his youthful innocence yielding to ascetic resolve, symbolizing Japan's postwar soul-searching. Captain Inouye represents enlightened leadership, using music to humanize soldiers and model redemption, contrasting with rigid militarists. Supporting characters like the unit's choristers highlight camaraderie's fragility, their search for Mizushima underscoring themes of loss and loyalty. Compared to Fires on the Plain, it offers optimism versus despair; echoes Kurosawa's humanism in Seven Samurai but prioritizes spirituality. Influences include Italian neorealism, with its on-location shooting, and anticipates global anti-war films like The Bridge on the River Kwai. Remade by Ichikawa in color (1985), the original's monochrome enhances timelessness, contributing to Japan's "victim consciousness" while subtly addressing reconciliation with Asia. It remains relevant, evoking profound empathy and underscoring Ichikawa's versatility in blending artistry with activism. Criterion's 4K UHD and Blu-ray release of The Burmese Harp is a commendable a/v upgrade that honors Ichikawa's lyrical masterpiece through a pristine restoration and solid presentation, making it an essential acquisition for fans of Japanese cinema and anti-war classics. This edition reaffirms the film's enduring legacy as a beacon of redemption amid devastation - recommended for both newcomers and collectors seeking a definitive home video experience.

Gary Tooze