User Reviews

After the German III.Seebataillon (3rd Seabatallon; the Imperial German Navy's equivalent to the Marine Corps) capitulated after the siege of Tsingtao, some 4700 German POW's were transported to different POW Camps throughout Japan. One of those Camps was Bando POW Camp. Before their return to Germany, the soldiers organize a huge party for the villagers. The highlight is a performance of "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was the first time this work was ever performed in Japan. Since then it has become the most-liked piece of music in that country. Some of the depicted characters are fictitious, some are real life characters like Karl, a German soldier and baker in civil life, who repeatedly flees until Matsue puts him in charge of the camp bakery. This man, in real life Karl Juchheim, stayed in Japan and established a bakery, which grew into the successful Juchheim bakery chain in Japan, where you still can get "sehr guter Baumkuchen" today. Another other famous company founded by a former Bando POW is Lohmeyer Corporation in Tochigi. The movie itself is a slow paced movie which shows us the importance of understanding, the power of music and that war sucks big time.