Samurai of the Sky (1976) [Film Review]

Samurai of the Sky; or, Divine Winds
     You are not here to die but to fight!
When looking at the legacy of Japanese filmography, it becomes apparent that the industry always had an affinity for making war dramas. From Fires on the Plain (1959) to Yamato (2005), war movies made in Japan communicated distinct themes, such as exploitation of an individual or heroism of soldiers. Albeit forgotten, Seiji Maruyama’s Samurai of the Sky is a perfect exemplification of the latter concept. The movie is an adaptation of memoirs written by Saburo Sakai, a naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Release Info

Directed by: Seiji Maruyama Starring: Hiroshi Fujioka, Naoko Otani, Tetsuro Tamba

Language: Japanese Original Title: 大空のサムライ Runtime: 102 min

Synopsis
The Solomon Islands, 1943. Saburo Sakai (Hiroshi Fujioka) is the leader of an aerial squadron which takes down enemy planes and protects Japanese bombers. He frequently clashes with basically everybody in his outfit because he wants to get things done and protect his men. Sakai is perfectly aware of the fact that the battle in the sky is the “kill or be killed” kind of situation. During one of the battles, the pilot gets badly injured and he loses his squad. Will he be able to make it back to the base?

The Zero Fighter
Interesting thing about Samurai of the Sky is the fact that it does not try to be a stereotypical tale about Japanese pilots who are only capable of killing themselves while ramming their planes into enemy fighters. In the first act, we see Saburo reprimanding his new commanding officer that the most important thing is to survive and keep on fighting.

Throughout the film we see various subplots concerning the squadron members. How stupidity becomes their damnation or how they can’t handle the pressure. Saburo, on the other hand, behaves like a vicious animal just because he desires to stay alive.

In terms of special effects, the crew clearly  used miniatures of zero aircrafts and a lot of wire work. The fights are done fairly well, but you can see that they are not entirely up to par when compared with Kinji Fukasaku’s segments for Tora Tora Tora (1970), filmed just 6 years before Samurai of the Sky.

With regard to performances, Hiroshi Fujioka is undeniably a perfect choice to play Saburo Sakai. After doing Kamen Rider in 1971, the actor’s career really took off in the 1970s, especially within the Tokusatsu genre. My praise also goes to Naoko Otani who provided a subtle portrayal of Japanese nurse trying to deal with the war turmoil. In addition, Tetsuro Tamba also makes a brief appearance as Captain Saito, the direct superior of Sakai.

Recommendations
If you are in the mood for a film that praises the bravado of Japanese pilots, then I recommend Samurai of the Sky. It is a bit dated, but Hiroshi Fujioka makes it an enjoyable ride with a touch of pathos. Interestingly, it was Seiji Maruyama’s penultimate picture before his retirement. I got it dirt cheap on DVD in my country.Overall score: 7/10

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