is a 1938 Japanese

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by Sato Takeshi. It shows the common Japanese soldier as an individual and as a family man, presenting even enemy Chinese soldiers as brave individuals. It is considered to be a "humanist" film, paying close attention to the human feelings of both the soldier and his family.

Plot

A hard-working father is called up and sent to the front. He keeps in touch with his family by writing letters home. These include chocolate wrappers collected from his comrades; his son is collecting the wrappers to redeem for a free box of chocolate. The man volunteers for one brave act, joining a suicide squad. Before he goes, he drinks a toast from a cup given him by his son, and (as happens in other "humanist" films) smiles to indicate his intention to die with his comrades. The son receives the news of his father's death at the same time as the free chocolates arrive. He swears vengeance; the chocolate company gives him a scholarship.

Reception

The American director Frank Capra said of ''Chocolate and Soldiers'' "We can't beat this kind of thing. We make a film like that maybe once in a decade. We haven't got the actors." The film opened the Japan Society's series of Japanese

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

movies shown in the United States in 1987. Cinema theorist Kate Taylor-Jones suggests that along with films like ''

Mud and Soldiers is a 1939 Japanese war film directed by Tomotaka Tasaka. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ashihei Hino. Cast * Isamu Kosugi was a Japanese actor and film director. Career Born in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, Kosugi first st ...

'' and '' The Legend of Tank Commander Nishizumi'', ''Chocolate and Soldiers'' provided "a vision of the noble, obedient and honourable Japanese army fighting to defend the emperor and Japan." Joseph L. Anderson observes that the film was "obviously aimed at the home audience".

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt0263203, Chocolate to heitai 1938 films Japanese propaganda films Japanese black-and-white films Japanese drama films 1938 drama films