OUT ON VIDEO

An occasional update of video releases

* THE BURMESE HARP - After a close escape from death in the final moments of World War II, a Japanese musician is nursed back to health by a Buddhist monk. Later he sets off to rejoin his military unit, but his journey is interrupted by a sudden compulsion to bury the corpses of less-fortunate soldiers killed on the battlefield. Over time, his selfless devotion to this mission blossoms into a religious conversion that both puzzles and impresses his former comrades. Directed by Kon Ichikawa, this 1956 drama ranks with the most stirring films ever made on the subjects of war, peace, and spirituality. (Public Media/Home Vision, Chicago) * FLESH AND BONE - Trying to live a decent and orderly life after a seriously abused childhood, a young man gets involved with a woman fleeing an abusive husband. Their situation grows more complicated when the man's father shows up, bringing memories of an awful crime they committed against the woman's family years ago. Written and directed by Steve Kloves, this melodrama moves at a deliberate pace; sometimes this gives the picture an effectively brooding atmosphere, and sometimes it just slows the story down. Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan are solid as the lovers, and James Caan is chilling as the villain. (Paramount Pictures, Hollywood, Calif.) * THE YOUNG ONE Unjustly accused of attempted rape, a black jazz musician escapes to a remote Southern island where his new white acquaintances include an adolescent girl and a mean-spirited man who takes advantage of her innocence for his own lustful ends. Directed in Mexico by the great Luis Bunuel, this 1960 drama combines a harshly realistic depiction of sexual hypocrisy with dazzlingly complex character portraits and subtle touches of the surrealistic wit that is Bunuel's most enduring trademark. Bernie Hamilton and Zachary Scott star. (Connoisseur Collection, Santa Monica, Calif.)

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