Despite the subject matter, this is one of the most physically beautiful films I've ever seen. A difficult story to watch at times and some of the symbolism was a little overdone, but a well crafted movie with great attention to camera angle, set dressing, and - above all - the cinematography. A really stunning work...

I originally saw this film in 1975 when it was released and later on VHS...and for many years it was my favorite, bar none. Why? It combines the best that movies have to offer....visual grammar, incredibly moving, skillful performances, good directing and a powerful story of the relationship between a young modern Japanese woman and an older more traditional one, who tells of her experiences, being sold into prostitution at age 13, relating it (through flashbacks) to the younger woman. Those are the bare bones of the film...It doesn't begin to evoke the emotion and beauty of what human relationship can mean, as well as the heartless practices that society can inflict on its helpless inhabitants.

"Sandakan 8" is a very important film about a (mostly forgotten) shared history between Japan and Malaysia which is based on Tomoko Yamazaki's novel. Kei Kumai will remain an immortal filmmaker through the work he put into this film to portray the patriarchal exploitation. It makes you feel ashamed to be a human. From the beginning it is such a powerful and moving film, yet it is still a compulsive, involving, and utterly heart-wrenching. The screenplay is one of the best ever written: it captures the stories of the Sandakan brothels, the plight of the girls with so much amount of detail, and thus ensures that we don't easily forget what they were put through without distracting from the main story at hand. The film is graceful, breath-taking, and powerful and the parallels are enhanced by details.

One of the most powerful stories ever put on celluloid, mainly because it's based on fact. Needless to say, the end is bittersweet and rather perfect. And the whole troubling two hours getting there will leave you moved in the graveyard scene, for sure, but also enlightened. All in all, I applaud Kei Kumai for not exploiting the script for emotional reasons and cash in on the festival audience.