Battle of the Japan Sea

12/23/2013

Seiji Maruyama’s sanitized docu-drama, retelling the Japanese conduct of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which culminated with Japan’s stunning naval victory in the Tsushima Strait. Tsushima’s significance is practically mythic, amounting to a national symbol. From a director who has shown reverence for military values, you might expect a painstakingly conscientious propaganda film. That’s what you get here, complete with diagrams and explanatory narration. The emphasis is about equal between historic personalities and epic battles, both depicted with detachment and restraint, both almost bloodless by the standards of today. Confrontations are dignified, carnage is comparatively decorous. Toshiro Mifune and a debonair Tatsuya Nakadai stand out among a fine studio cast. For