I happened to read an   article on the 10 greatest film directors from Japan .  Of course on the list were Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu and Kon Ichikawa.  I thought Masaki Kobayashi deserved to be there.  So I went to   another ranking and he was #8 .  His memorable films are highly rated: Harakiri  ( 1962 ), Rotten Tomatoes  100/97. The Human Condition  ( 1959 ), RT  /94 ...but only for Part 2. Kwaidan  ( 1964 ), RT 91/90. I am focusing on  The Human Condition  because I am into the first hour of Part 1 of this trilogy: Part 1:   No Greater Love . Part 2:   Road to Eternity . Part 3:   A Soldier's Prayer . Let me quote  Wikipedia : The Human Condition   ( 人間の條件 ,   Ningen no jōken )   is a   Japanese   epic film   trilogy made between 1959 and 1961, based on the six-volume   novel   published from 1956 to 1958 by   Junpei Gomikawa . [3]  ...