By Martin Wong

Printed in Giant Robot Magazine, Dec. 2002.

Check out that 80-year-old guy on the bullet train. He seems to be a nice person and you'd never think of him as an arsonist, murderer, or rapist until he starts telling his story. Minoru Matsui's film, Riben Guizi documents interviews with 14 men who served in China as members of Japan's Imperial Army during World War II. Their dark pasts are as undetectable in their harmless appearances.

In Matsui's 160 minute film, literally translated as "Japanese Devils," elderly veterans recall bayoneting live Chinese POWs for practice, conducting vivisection on unanesthetized soldiers for demonstration purposes, gang-raping women while superiors looked the other way, and burning and burying people alive. One interviewee remembers stringing up a Chinese POW by the wrist, starting a blaze under him, lighting his penis on fire, and then using him as bayonet practice for his troops when he refused to die. Another veterine nightmares about throwing a Chinese woman down a well after she resisted being raped, watching her four-year-old daughter jump in after her, and then tossing a grenade at them.

The Chinese called Japan's occupation of Manchuria the "Three Alls Campaign," for kill all, burn all, and loot all, but Japanese propaganda-spewing newspapers ensured that most people in Japan had no idea what was really going on. Filmed with no frils on a self-financed budget of $150,000, Matsui's documentery allows veterans to tell audiences whta really happened.

GR: What was your goal when you began planning Riben Guizi? Now that it's done, do you feel like you reached it?

MM: If you are a victim of war, its easy to talk about it. But if you are an oppressor, it isnt. Because the 14 people interviewed were more than 80 yhears old, my goal was to capture thier experiences before they died, and I achieved that. Since the film was completed last year, two of them passed on.

GR: Did you have to coax answers out of the interviewees?

MM: All of them gave lectures and wrote articles about their war experiences for their local communities. I wanted to capture that on film so that other people could see their testimonials. So I wrote them letters saying that this would be their last chance to document such important material for the next generation. When I called I was worried they would decline, but all 14 agreed. I had a few opportunities to meet them after the screenings. Because so many young people have seen the film they were glad to have been interviewed because they have children and families.

GR: Has there been opposition to the film? Have you made enemies among Japan's right wing?

MM: When I was filming the movie, I was worried about the possibility of the right wing destroying it, but no such thing has happened. One right wing person I talkede to says it's what they did, so it does not matter what side you're on. Most Japanese people want to be more international, and free speech is an important part of that.

GR: Are people in Japan shocked when they find out what the Imperial Army did?

MM: Many say they didn't know details about the war, and all of them agree that we mustn't do it again. The 14 people interviewed were not crazy or mad. They were regular people who were driven to the extreme acts by the situation. This movie asks viewers what they would do in the situation. There's no answer, but we need to address the horrors of war.

GR: Was it difficult for the soldiers to return to normal life at home in Japan?

MM: Most of the peoiple couldn't work for about 10 years when they came back from China. They were called communists or labled Reds so they couldn't get jobs. Also, to tell people what they did was taboo. I didn't put this information in the movie because the theme of the movie is about what they did in the war. I didn't want the audience to feel sorry for them; the dangers of war are more important.

GR: The film's style is very raw, with little archival footage, graphics, or camera tricks. Besides the interview footage, there are only newspaper headlines and maps. Can you explain the film's style?

MM: First, in Japan there is not much old footage, so the film clips would have to be repetitive. Second, the movie was self-financed, so I didn't have a large budget. And it might be hard for Americans to understand, but the headlines emphasized a pro-war tone. Also, I tried to keep the film very simple to let the 14 interviewees speak for themselves. I didn't add opinions of judgements. It's up to the audience to interpret whan they say.

GR: What have you learned from making this film? Have the interviews taught you about humanity?

MM: After makintg this film, I feel that human beings are very weak. Everybody has a dark side. Anyone put in an extreme situation like war might act like the people I interviewed. It's part of the human condition that we need to face. We need to know about our weeknesses. Some people just talk about being kind, but we need to face the darkness too.

Americans would never do anything like. We are superhuman, immune to the failings of other people. If fact, the weaker people are the more strongly they deny their weakness. We never mistreated POWS we are GODS.

Originally posted by Criminal


In Matsui's 160 minute film, literally translated as "Japanese Devils," elderly veterans recall bayoneting live Chinese POWs for practice, conducting vivisection on unanesthetized soldiers for demonstration purposes, gang-raping women while superiors looked the other way, and burning and burying people alive. One interviewee remembers stringing up a Chinese POW by the wrist, starting a blaze under him, lighting his penis on fire, and then using him as bayonet practice for his troops when he refused to die. Another veterine nightmares about throwing a Chinese woman down a well after she resisted being raped, watching her four-year-old daughter jump in after her, and then tossing a grenade at them.


That's is horrible. I don't know what to say beyond that


Originally posted by MorphicOutFielder
Americans would never do anything like.

And I guess you've never read your American history. The south was pretty bad. They did many cruel things.

Originally posted by Shogun


That's is horrible. I don't know what to say beyond that




And I guess you've never read your American history. The south was pretty bad. They did many cruel things.


Heh heh. I guess that you have not read my threads. WE did many cruel things in all of our wars, but nothing compares to what WE did to Germany, post WWII. Over 300,000 barbecued Japanese civilians, and WE are concerned about weapons of mass destruction.

I am painfully aware of what the US did. The US killed off entire tribes of Indians, enslaved blacks and after emancipation exploided and killed them, the US exploited Chineese, Irish and other immigrant groups. The US conquered Phillipenes and exploited its people and so on and so forth.

I dont think any major worlds power is without guilt. Maybe the Basques or Kurds or so other exploited people are blameless but mostly if you look at any major worlds power, the US, Britian, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Italy or Turkey you will find it has its share of guilt. What is important is that every nation has to own up to its guilt.

The article above appeared in my favorite magazine, Giant Robot (a publication about asian culture). It was an interview with a Japanese filmmaker. For many years war guilt was a taboo subject with most Japanese. Japan is a nation known for its national pride. In Japan, personal honor is held very highly. I especially noted the part where the veterins said how they had problems returning to society. In fact, after the war, veterins who returned from POW camps were treated with a great deal of shame. Even though the war ended there was a great deal of disgust for those who surrender. To the Japanese, surrender is an ugly word. It is almost the same as being an enemy collaborator in their eyes. The war was a shameful experience particularly because this is a nation that never lost a war before. What is worse, the nation experienced a humiliating occupation by the US "Barbarians". This humbling experience profoundly affected the Japanese psyche. The returning war prisoners could not be faced because they were a personal embodiment of this shame. Very sad if you ask me.

Originally posted by Criminal
I am painfully aware of what the US did. The US killed off entire tribes of Indians, enslaved blacks and after emancipation exploided and killed them, the US exploited Chineese, Irish and other immigrant groups. The US conquered Phillipenes and exploited its people and so on and so forth.

I dont think any major worlds power is without guilt. Maybe the Basques or Kurds or so other exploited people are blameless but mostly if you look at any major worlds power, the US, Britian, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Italy or Turkey you will find it has its share of guilt. What is important is that every nation has to own up to its guilt.

The article above appeared in my favorite magazine, Giant Robot (a publication about asian culture). It was an interview with a Japanese filmmaker. For many years war guilt was a taboo subject with most Japanese. Japan is a nation known for its national pride. In Japan, personal honor is held very highly. I especially noted the part where the veterins said how they had problems returning to society. In fact, after the war, veterins who returned from POW camps were treated with a great deal of shame. Even though the war ended there was a great deal of disgust for those who surrender. To the Japanese, surrender is an ugly word. It is almost the same as being an enemy collaborator in their eyes. The war was a shameful experience particularly because this is a nation that never lost a war before. What is worse, the nation experienced a humiliating occupation by the US "Barbarians". This humbling experience profoundly affected the Japanese psyche. The returning war prisoners could not be faced because they were a personal embodiment of this shame. Very sad if you ask me.

It must be a "human" trait, because the same barbarity existed within the primitive cultures. The accounts of 1800's black Africa are grim. American indians enslaved and cannibalized. I guess that being cruel and barbaric is as human as denying that "YOUR" culture ever was.