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by Troler

Free Software fundamentally misses the point. It fails on a practical, ideological, economic, and political level. Let’s examine precisely how (in a slightly different order for the purposes of presentation).

The blistering cries of the war can be interpreted as a symphony. Only the musical and empathetic are able to decipher its true meaning. Asked what those wails mean, no concrete answer would be heard. Just saying pain is too narrow, suffering too shallow. The best approximation is everything: woe and joy, hope and dismay – masala. c:0

Fort Graveyard (In Japanese it's called blood and sand), is a war comedy, in line with other Kihachi Okamoto films, such as Westward Desperado. Both films share a close resemblance. Both are war comedies. Both are Western-like. Both are shared with march songs. Both follow incompetent soldiers. Both take place in WW2 China. Both orient on defending a fort. The difference lies in the fact Fort Graveyard is more extreme.


Death is deaf to pleas.

Unlike Westward Desperado, comedy is not so ever present. Sure, absurdity is there, there is no fear of going from light-hearted fun to tragedy. The military band are one moment playing Dixieland jazz with joy and bliss and the other they are being shot down by few ragtag guerilla groups. There is this clash between the rational, but still kind-hearted Sergeant Kosugi (Toshiro Mifune) and the band's leader's Harada's (Kenzaburô Ôsawa) ineptitude.


BROTHER!

The film covers ground on love and sexuality. The band is compromised of people who are the age range of 19-22. Their experience in sex so lacking, they're unable to stand up after seeing a pretty girl. The sexual immaturity is works as a form of foreshadowing: there is more to one particular sex worker.

No girl is prettier and nicer than Oharu (Yoshiko Kanesato). No one is loved like Oharu, but love in the frontline is as strenuous as life. Similarly there is this tie in with the previous movie (Westward Desperado), since a brothel plays a role. Here even more, since it serves more than just a morale booster, but destroyer of hope as well. When there are ties, there will be loss. c:1


The blind man plays his last note.

The happy band, surrounded by enemies with presence of Oharu, are not meant to stay alive. 'Tis 1945 after all. The gay Dixieland jazz once again is played, like a funeral song. It is played during a shelling. The sounds of explosions mix into the harmony of music. Oharu cries on the grave of her lover – Kosugi. The band members die one after another, with the melody losing instruments one by one... until no one is alive. Oharu is dead. Everyone is dead. A letter comes in, the war is over. The messenger is dead on the ground. The song is over... c:2

Fin.

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  Blender Dumbass c:0 January 29, 2026




Poetry?

  Blender Dumbass c:1 January 29, 2026




Typing her name in image-search yielded a bunch of anime. What is going on?

  Blender Dumbass c:2 January 29, 2026




The band in Titanic.

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