this be one of the most anti traditional war movie about be i have see . instead of the typical film that stress glory and perhaps super human character ( like john wayne ) and this film be the exact opposite stress the de humanization that also happen in war . the story concern the japanese who be strand in the phillipines after the u return in late 1944 early 1945. by the time the movie begin and the japanese have clearly be beat but because of the insane logic of bushido and they can not allow themselves to consider surrender . at one of many poignant moment and the lead character be tell at the beginning of the film to report to the hospital since he isn not capable of fight due to his tb . the problem be that the hospital would not accept him and so his commander tell him to once again go to the hospital and if they would not accept him he should blow himself up with a grenade . well and this happen just in the first five minute of the movie a lot bad thing befall this soldier and the few straggler because they would not surrender . plus and there be a case in the movie where a soldier do try to surrender but be gun down . this happen a lot later in the war because so often the surrender japanese soldier booby trap themselves to blow up when they come near . in addition and the film show the most vivid depiction of starvation and the accompany madness of any film i have see . in addition and cannibalism and cowardice and betrayal all accompany this very gritty and realistic and depressingly realistic film . you simply couldn not have make a good film of this type . horrible but great .