The Burning Sky (燃ゆる大空) 84 years old

The film was produced during Second Sino-Japanese War, before the Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941. The film mainly concerns the training of newly-recruited pilots and their daily life, then their subsequent fighting experiences in China. Army supported the production, providing all the authentic airplanes, training and actual actions. They even provided the older biplanes disguised as Chinese fighter planes. Obinata plays the trainer-turned-combat-leader, who is passionate and cool at the same time. All his boys love him, of course. The film is not as intense, full of sugar-coated camaraderie, until young pilots are killed in action one by one. Last twenty minutes are fairly grim, as the message of self-sacrifice is heard loud and clear.

Credits

The Burning Sky Cast

Name Character
Kazuo Hasegawa He was 32, 76 years old when he died
Den Ohinata He was 33, now 117 years old
Susumu Fujita He was 28, 78 years old when he died
Taizô Fukami
Sôji Kiyokawa He was 36, 81 years old when he died
Seishirô Hara He was 35, now 120 years old

The Burning Sky Crew

Name Department
The Burning Sky poster
The Burning Sky (84 years)

  • Release day: Friday, May 10, 1940
  • Runtime: 101 minutes