A natural companion piece to Downfall, The Sun< takes as its subject another major figure of World War II, Japan's Emperor Hirohito. Made by Alexander Sokurov, the acclaimed director of the hit Russian Ark, the film examines the events leading up to Japan's surrender to the Allied forces in 1945 and the Emperor's historic address to his people, which marked the first time they had ever heard his voice. Issei Ogata is superb as Hirohito, the reclusive, vulnerable leader who was regarded as a deity by his people, and Robert Dawson stars as General Douglas MacArthur, the commander-in-chief of the occupying American forces, whose meetings with the Japanese leader lead to the Emperor renouncing his divine status. Released 60 years after VJ day, The Sun is a fascinating and mesmerising study of one of the 20th Century's most enigmatic and controversial figures.
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