An agonizing portrait of desperate Japanese soldiers stranded in a strange land during World War II, Kon Ichikawa’s Fires on the Plain is a compelling descent into psychological and physical oblivion. Denied hospital treatment for tuberculosis and cast off into the unknown, Private Tamura treks across an unfamiliar Philippine landscape, encountering an increasingly debased cross section of Imperial Army soldiers, who eventually give in to the most terrifying craving of all. Grisly yet poetic, Fires on the Plain is one of the most powerful works from one of Japanese cinema’s most versatile filmmakers.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Fires on the Plain on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of a glorious 4K digital restoration from the 35mm Original Camera Negative undertaken by the Kadokawa Corporation. The film is presented in 2160p SDR which is a beauty even without HDR implementation. The film is also making its domestic Blu-Ray debut with the included Blu-Ray disc derived from the same source, also available to purchase separately. We always love it when a title can jump from DVD all the way to 4K UHD to satisfy all audiences. The Blu-Ray is very nice, but the 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc coaxes more improvements out of the source that make it the preferred choice. The black and white cinematography is a beauty with smooth gradients and rich, subtle textures. The contrast remains stable and provides improvements in sharpness.

The frame showcases some excellent depth to the image as our protagonist wanders the lands, allowing the space to feel all the more isolating. This master offers a grand amount of textural details in the uniforms and the war-torn production design. You will not spot much in the way of major dust specks or print damage that you might expect from a film of this vintage. This transfer retains the filmic quality of the picture with fine film grain aiding the subtle details. Black levels are nice and deep without any serious nuisances such as digital noise or compression artifacts. The Blu-Ray disc has additional supplemental material it has to handle, but the 4K UHD disc allows the movie to breathe on its own. The Criterion Collection has put forth an excellent effort to give this film new life. This transfer delivers on all fronts.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with an admirably remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track in the original Japanese with optional English subtitles. Even with an older film such as this one, there do not seem to be any unacceptable instances of age-related wear and tear. Dialogue comes through clearly, never allowing itself to get overshadowed by the haunting soundscape. The music of the feature is in good shape when it flows throughout the room. Dynamic environmental sounds are in short supply, but those that are present are rendered well alongside everything else, especially with some bombings and ocean waves. Criterion has given this film the deftly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Fires on the Plain includes a pamphlet featuring the essay “Both Ends Burning” by film critic Chuck Stephens. This work explores the themes of the film, the history that is built into the narrative, the legacy of the film, and more which is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Donald Richie: A nearly 13-minute interview from 2006 in which the Japanese film historian discusses the career of Kon Ichikawa, how Fires on the Plain was received upon its release, the thematic content of the film, the dark humor in the film, and more.

Kon Ichikawa and Mickey Curtis: A pair of archival interviews totaling 21 minutes featuring the director and the performer is provided. In this piece, you get some insights into the impact of World War II on Japan, the development of the screenplay, the experience of making the film, and more.

Final Thoughts

Fires on the Plain is a haunting wartime exploration that finds violence as visceral in the hope of survival as it is in combat. This is a film that is able to conjure the helpless feeling of war, and it is an experience that lingers with you long after the credits have flashed. Director Kon Ichikawa feels like a filmmaker in full control of his powers, and every bold choice strikes you when viewing it on the screen. This is one you should work up to watching if you want to experience something truly staggering. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a favorable A/V presentation and a couple of valuable special features. If you are a fan of Japanese cinema, do not hesitate to add it to your collection. Highly Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Fires on the Plain is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.