every american who think he or she understand world war two should see this movie . few hollywood film about the war have defy the stereotype of japanese soldier a emotionless brute obey order without thinking . we like to think that every japanese man be ready and able to fight to the death and right up to the day we bomb nagasaki . fire on the plain show a different reality represent troop pathetically undersupplied and demoralized and starve to the point of cannibalism . they euphemistically refer to human flesh a monkey meat . the movie and novel on which it be base also put to death the myth that japanese soldier all preferred death to surrender represent they have good reason to believe that their enemy be in no mood to take prisoner . to me it raise a question most american would rather avoid represent if the japanese military be so beaten down at this point in the war and why be it necessary to nuke hiroshima .