is a 1968 Japanese

satiric Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposing or ...

anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...

film about a soldier who becomes assigned to a suicide mission against the American forces during the late stage of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It was written and directed by

Kihachi Okamoto was a Cinema of Japan, Japanese film director who worked in several different film genre, genres. Career Born in Yonago, Tottori, Yonago, Okamoto attended Meiji University, but was drafted into the Air Force 1943 and entered World War II, an exp ...

Plot

During the last days of the war, a nameless young cadet is assigned to a suicide mission, ordered to blow himself up with an ammunition crate under the expected enemy tanks. While awaiting the enemy's invasion, he makes the acquaintance of a young orphaned woman, who runs a brothel formerly owned by her parents, and two kid brothers. He falls in love with the young woman, who is later killed in an air raid, as is the elder of the brothers. Vowing revenge for the dead, he receives new orders from the deteriorating commanding staff, ordering him to manually steer a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...

into the awaited enemy battleships. Twenty years after the war has ended, his skeletal remains float in an oil drum off the beach, his

offscreen The terms off-screen, off-camera, and off-stage refer to fictional events in theatre, television, or film which are not seen on stage or in frame, but are merely heard by the audience, or described (or implied) by the characters or narrator. Off ...

voice shouting "rabbit", the nickname he had given the girl.

Cast

Minori Terada was a Japanese actor and voice artist. Life and career Minori Terada was born in Tokyo, as the first son of , a famous painter. In 1961, he began to work as an actor. Terada was known for his roles as villains, including Alien Metron in ''U ...

– Him *

Naoko Otani is a Japanese actress. She made her screen debut in '' The Human Bullet'' while still a high school student, and became popular for her role in the NHK Asadora , colloquially known as , is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese telev ...

– Girl *

Chishū Ryū was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting 65 years, appeared in over 160 films and about 70 television productions. Early life Ryū was born in Tamamizu Village, Tamana, Kumamoto, Tamana County, a rural area of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu ...

– Bookstore owner *

Tanie Kitabayashi was a Japanese actress and voice actress. Born Reiko Ando in Tokyo, she began as a stage actress. Kitabayashi was a founding member of the famed Mingei Theatre Company, founded in 1950. Early in her career, she became well known for portrayin ...

– Bookstore owner's wife *

Shoichi Ozawa was a Japanese actor, radio host, singer, and prominent researcher and expert on Japanese folk art. He also founded the Shabondama-za theater company. Ozawa, who was born in Tokyo, graduated from Waseda University. He began acting after college ...

– Sergeant *

Kin Sugai (28 February 1926 – 10 August 2018) was a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 9th Hochi Film Award for '' The Funeral''. Sugai is famous for her role as Sen Nakamura in the jidaigeki drama Hissatsu series. S ...

– Sergeant's mistress *

Etsushi Takahashi was a Japanese actor from Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture. Takahashi often worked with Kihachi Okamoto and Satsuo Yamamoto. After graduating from Rikkyo University, Takahashi joined NHK acting school. In 1964, he joined Bungakuza Theatre Company ...

– NCO *

Ichirō Nakatani was a Japanese actor. He attended Waseda University, but withdrew before completing his degree and joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1959, Nakatani won Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. Nakatani was well known for his role as Ninja ...

– Military policeman *

Kunie Tanaka was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the ''Wakadaishō'' series (1961–1981) of films. He is also well-known for his roles in Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza films, namely the ''Battles Without Hon ...

– Captain *

Masumi Harukawa , born , is a Japanese actress. Filmography * 1961: '' Girls of the Night'' * 1963: '' The Insect Woman'' * 1964: '' Unholy Desire'' * 1964: '' Kunoichi Keshō'' * 1965: '' House of Terrors'' * 1966: '' The Threat'' * 1967: '' Zatoichi's Cane Sw ...

– Woman in apron *

Yūnosuke Itō was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than ninety films from 1947 to 1979. Career Itō made his film debut at Toho in 1946, and although mostly a prominent supporting actor—playing memorable figures such as the novelist in Akira Ku ...

– Ship captain *

Hideyo Amamoto was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Dr. Shinigami in the original ''Kamen Rider'' series as well as many other characters in ''tokusatsu'' films such as the ''Godzilla'' series. Amamoto also used the pseudonym of Eisei Amamoto ...

– Father

Production

After negotiations with

Toho Studios is a Japanese film studio and production company that is a subsidiary of Toho Co., Ltd. One of the most successful films produced by Toho Studio is the live-action film ''Godzilla Minus One'' (2023), which generated more than $100 million at t ...

failed, Okamoto financed ''The Human Bullet'' himself, shooting it on

16mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

(to be later released in 35 mm format). Independent distribution and production company

Art Theatre Guild The Art Theatre Guild (ATG) was a Japanese film production and distribution company which started in 1961, releasing mostly Japanese New Wave and art films. The programming was complemented by a print magazine called ''Art Theatre'' containing ...

acted as co-producer.

Awards

''The Human Bullet'' received the 1968

Mainichi Film Awards The are a series of annual film awards, sponsored by '' Mainichi Shimbun'' (毎日新聞), one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of ...

for Best Direction, Best Actor (Minori Terada), Best Music and Best Art Direction (Isao Akune).

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Human Bullet Japanese war films Films directed by Kihachi Okamoto 1968 films Films scored by Masaru Sato Pacific War films 1968 war films Japanese World War II films 1960s Japanese films 1960s Japanese-language films Japanese-language war films