Kinoshita and World War II (Criterion Collection - Eclipse Series 41)

Hugely popular in his home country of Japan, Keisuke Kinoshita (TWENTY-FOUR EYES) worked tirelessly as a director for nearly half a century making lyrical, sentimental films that often center on the inherent goodness of people, especially in times of distress. He began his directing career during a most challenging time for Japanese cinema: World War II, when the industry's output was closely monitored by the state and often had to be purely propagandistic. This collection of Kinoshita's first films four made while the war was going on and one shortly after Japans surrender demonstrates the way the filmmakers humanity and exquisite cinematic technique shone through, even in the darkest of times.