IMDb >
Philosophy of a Knife (2008) (V)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsPhilosophy of a Knife (2008) (V) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 3 | slideshow) |
  |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
8 July 2008 (USA) moreTagline:
God created heaven, man created hellPlot:
The true history of Japanese Unit 731, from its beginnings in the 1930s to its demise in 1945, and the subsequent trials in Khabarovsk... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
Iskanov's disturbing vision is NOT for the faint of heart moreCast
(Credited cast) | Yukari Fujimoto | ... | The female nurse #1 |
| Yumiko Fujiwara | ... | The female nurse #2 |
| Svyatoslav Iliyasov | ... | The male nurse |
| Andrey Iskanov | ... | The amputation surgeon |
| Masaki Kitagava | ... | The female nurse #3 |
| Tatyana Kopeykina | ... | The blond girl with toy bear |
| Vladimir Kucherenko | ... | The radioactivity experiment man |
| Veronika Leonova | ... | The brunette girl |
| Victor Ludchenko | ... | The decompression experiment man |
| Manoush | ... | Japanese nurse (voice) |
| Reiko Niakawa | ... | The female nurse #4 |
| Irina Nikitina | ... | The pregnant girl |
| Tomoya Okamoto | ... | The officer #2 |
| Elena Probatova | ... | The favorite girl |
| Anatoly Protasov | ... | Himself |
| Tetsuro Sakagami | ... | The officer #1 |
| Artem Seleznyov | ... | The frostbite experiment man |
| Victor Silkin | ... | The old surgeon |
| Dmitriy Skripnik | ... | The captured airplane pilot |
| Alyona Strebkova | ... | The dental torture girl |
| Anna Subbotina | ... | The insect experiment girl |
| Stephen Tipton | ... | Historical commentary (voice) |
| Irina Zenkina | ... | The syphilis experiment girl |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
249 min (Unrated Director's Cut)Sound Mix:
StereoFilming Locations:
Khabarovsk, RussiaFun Stuff
Trivia:
The film contains about 13,000 special sound effects most part of which is never used twice. moreSoundtrack:
Forgive Me moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Philosophy of a Knife (2008) (V) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Chôjin densetsu Urotsukidôji | Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma | Cannibal Holocaust | Yi boh laai beng duk | Rambo |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb Russia section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Having seen Andrey Iskanov's two earlier works, "Nails" & "Visions of Suffering", I was very much looking forward to his latest. I have seen "Men Behind the Sun" so I know what Unit 731 was about, but "Men Behind the Sun" seems like "The Sound of Music" in comparison to THIS film.
This is, in part, sort of a documentary, and includes commentary by one Anatoly Protasov, a man who was a student in Harbin during the time that Unit 731 was in operation, among other things. Some of the material is archive footage from somewhere, and the rest is Iskanov's twisted nightmares on film.
If what is shown here is any indication, German atrocities pale in comparison to those of the Japanese. Supposedly their "experiments" had good reasons, like their experiments with frostbite, decompression, etc. But the execution of the experiments seems more like "let's see what would happen if we did this" than any sort of planned or regulated experimentation. There is horror after horror on display, and they were definitely "waste not, want not" with their subjects...after they'd worn them out with one thing they'd finish them off with yet another.
There are surgical instruments wielded with the care of pruning shears (complete with sound effects that further that notion). There are experiments that will make your skin crawl, especially what appears to be a large aggressive cockroach inserted where no one would ever want one. And there are things done with pregnant women that I won't even go into.
Is this all just a horror show to end all horror shows? Well, no, not really, for after the end of WW2 there is some history of what happened to those who were left (and apprehended) from Unit 731. It's also sort of a memorial, of sorts, to those who died, and those who were known and those who were not.
It's also over FOUR HOURS LONG and you'll probably feel like you've been beaten with a lead pipe if you attempt to watch it all at once.
I'm not sure I should say something like "I liked this film", although I suppose I did....but maybe "like" isn't the right word. Iskanov is definitely a man with a vision, and thank God he's putting his visions on film and not taking them out on others. 7 out of 10.