Falling Chrysanthemums (Cantonese: 落菊 Jyutping: lok6 guk1) is a 1981 Hong Kong war film co-written, edited, produced and directed by Ronald Kung in his directorial debut, and starring Tetsurō Tamba, Ken Ogata, Yūsaku Matsuda, Masaya Oki, Sonny Chiba and Cecilia Yip. The film is almost entirely spoken in Japanese with a few Cantonese and English sentences. Set from mid to late 1945 during the final, desperate months of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the film explores the slow moral and psychological disintegration of the Japanese soldiers as they face inevitable defeat and growing resistance.
Released in Hong Kong by Fox-Columbia-Warner Films on 15 July 1981, Falling Chrysanthemums caused controversy in both Japan and Hong Kong for its sympathetic portrayal of Japanese soldiers. However, it won acclaim for its artistry, nuanced script, and brave perspective. It is now considered a cult classic and a landmark anti-war film.
Plot[]
In July 1945, during the final, desperate months of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese garrison, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Masanobu Saito, tries to maintain order at the heavily fortified Stanley Fort. Supplies are scarce. Morale is deteriorating. The men are aware that Japan is losing the war, but official dispatches remain vague. Their radio communications with Tokyo become more sporadic.
Saito is a man torn between loyalty to the Emperor and a growing sense of dread. A devout follower of bushido, he demands discipline, but his men are exhausted and increasingly cynical. Among them are Captain Koji Fujita, Corporal Takeshi Arai, and Private Haruki Morita, who has developed a secret relationship with a local Cantonese girl, Mei-Ling, a laundry worker who feeds him information about resistance activity. Meanwhile, local resistance fighters and British colonial remnants, led by Sergeant Peter Holland, are preparing for sabotage missions. British and American air raids grow frequent, and whispers of an impending Allied invasion stir unease.
On 6 August 1945, news of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima reaches the garrison. Confusion and disbelief grip the officers. Some believe it’s propaganda; others see it as the death knell of the Empire. The garrison begins to unravel, where Fujita starts drinking heavily, haunted by flashbacks of earlier campaigns in Nanjing. Arai secretly shelters a wounded Chinese boy, despite orders to shoot any suspected spies. Morita and Mei-Ling plan an escape by boat—but are discovered by the Kempeitai, resulting in tragic consequences. The Japanese garrison, under orders to maintain control of Hong Kong at all costs, begins rounding up suspected collaborators. Executions are carried out. The tension between the occupiers and the locals reaches a boiling point. The line between soldier and executioner blurs.
On 15 August, the Emperor announces Japan's surrender. The soldiers listen to the Jewel Voice Broadcast in stunned silence. Colonel Saito, unable to reconcile surrender with honor, orders his men to defend the fort to the last man — but his officers refuse, and Fujita pleads with him to accept reality. Saito commits seppuku in his quarters as the sun rises.
British forces begin to re-enter the city. Arai, disillusioned but alive, is seen walking through the ruins of Stanley, clutching his diary. He is later arrested by the British. In the final scene, a young Chinese boy picks up a fallen Japanese chrysanthemum badge from a blood-stained uniform. The camera lingers on the crashing waves at Stanley Beach, before fading to black.
Cast[]
- Tetsurō Tamba as Lieutenant Colonel Masanobu Saito, the Commanding Officer of the Stanley Garrison. A traditionalist and devout follower of bushido, Saito is torn between his loyalty to the Emperor and the realisation that Japan has lost the war. A proud, tragic figure.
- Ken Ogata as Captain Koji Fujita, Saito's emotionally volatile second-in-command. Once idealistic, Fujita is now weary and cynical, numbing his guilt with alcohol. He serves as Saito's emotional foil and eventual challenger.
- Yūsaku Matsuda as Corporal Takeshi Arai, a quiet, introspective soldier who keeps a secret journal. He begins to question the entire purpose of the war and finds himself caught between duty and morality.
- Masaya Oki as Private Haruki Morita, a naïve and soft-spoken infantryman who develops a forbidden relationship with a local Chinese girl, which leads to devastating consequences and whose symbol of innocence would be destroyed by war.
- Sonny Chiba as Lieutenant Seiji Nakamura, a cold, ruthless Kempeitai officer who views mercy as weakness. Fanatical in his loyalty.
- Cecilia Yip as Mei-Ling, a Cantonese laundry worker and Morita's lover. Smart, quiet and resourceful, she secretly helps the resistance and dreams of escaping Hong Kong. Her tragic fate shocks the garrison.
- Shih Kien as Old Man Kwan, a local villager and silent witness. He speaks little, but his presence is heavy with meaning. He represents the dignity and quiet suffering of the local people.
- Julian Curry as Sergeant Peter Holland, a British colonial soldier turned resistance leader who leads sabotage missions with Hong Kong partisans. He speaks a mix of English and Japanese when captured.
- John Shrapnel as Major William Ashford, an Allied officer arriving with liberation forces.
- Tōru Minegishi as Private Mizuno, a superstitious soldier who believes the garrison is cursed.