Shanghai Landing Party (1939)
This film attempts to reconstruct the tension of the Battle of Shanghai through an episode in an understated way, introducting its story in a documentary mode. In the film story, Japan's marine regiment protects Japanese residents and Chinese refugees-women and young children-from rampant street fighting, Shanhai Rikusentai unsparingly uses its first eight minutes for an official-mannered self-justification of the war. From the viewpoint of explaining Japan's military operation,the narration refers to the city s spatial division in sync with maps on screen.
Released: May 19, 1939
Runtime: 93 minutes
Genre: Documentary, War
Stars: Den Obinata, Sōji Kiyokawa, Hyo Kitazawa, Ko Yamamuro, Mitsuo Tsuda, Ichirô Tetsu
Crew: Hisatora Kumagai (Director), Kiichi Horiuchi (Lighting Technician), Shigeharu Yasue (Sound Recordist), Tsutomu Sawamura (Screenplay), Takeo Kita (Settings), Zenju Imaizumi (Editor)