The Sun (film)

The Sun
Russian release poster
Directed by	Alexander Sokurov
Produced by	Igor Kallenof Marco Muller Andrei Sigle Alexander Rodnyansky
Written by	Yuri Arabov Jeremy Noble
Starring	Issey Ogata Robert Dawson
Music by	Andrei Sigle
Cinematography	Alexander Sokurov
Edited by	Sergei Ivanov
Release date	2005
Running time	115 minutes
Language	Japanese English

The Sun (Russian: Сóлнце, Solntse) is a 2005 Russian biographical film depicting Japanese Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) during the final days of World War II. The film is the third drama in director Aleksandr Sokurov's trilogy, which included Taurus about the Soviet Union's Vladimir Lenin and Moloch about Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler. The Sun won the Golden Apricot at the 2005 Yerevan International Film Festival, Armenia, for Best Feature Film.

Towards the conclusion of the Second World War, Japan nears defeat as Emperor Hirohito (Issey Ogata) reminisces on the past while being held up in a bunker underneath his Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Hirohito reflects on the foundation of the conflict while attempting to dictate peace terms. Later, U.S. military commander General Douglas MacArthur (Robert Dawson) is sent to bring him through the ruins of Tokyo for a meeting regarding the occupation of the victorious Allied leaders. The two very different men strangely bond after sharing dinner and cigars, after which Hirohito retreats to his personal quarters. Following his admission of personal failures, Hirohito attempts to rebuild his war-ravaged country as a fully developed constitutional nation while his own future remains in doubt, as either the Emperor of Japan or a war criminal.