The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer concludes Masaki Kobayashi's trilogy about Kaji, a Japanese civilian who was conscripted during the Second World War. With Japan's forces in Manchuria collapsing, Kaji leads a small group of survivors across the region, hoping to reach safety and return to the life and the wife he left behind. Their journey becomes a test of endurance, and Kaji is eventually taken prisoner by Soviet troops and sent to a labor camp.

Tatsuya Nakadai again plays Kaji, with Michiyo Aratama as Michiko and supporting turns from Yūsuke Kawazu, Chishū Ryū and Taketoshi Naitō among a credited cast of 38. Kobayashi directed and shares screenplay credit with Zenzō Matsuyama and Kôichi Inagaki, and produced with Shigeru Wakatsuki. The film follows the first two parts, released in 1959, and precedes Kobayashi's Harakiri, Kwaidan and Samurai Rebellion.

The film runs 190 minutes and belongs to the drama, history and war genres. On IMDb it holds a rating of 8.8 from around 8,600 votes; on TMDB it stands at 8.4 from roughly 224 votes, showing a strongly favorable response from viewers on both platforms.