I will eventually see it on cable. The IMDB threads indicate however that it's a politically charged film...and it is mainly charged IN SUPPORT of the Japs.
The IMDB threads contain every lame brained point of view you can think of. If a film about WW2 is inherently politically charged then you can call this one so.
The film depicts men forced to fight in a war. There is nothing in the film that glorifies the Japanese war effort---it simply illustrates what becomes of men in brutal and futile circumstances.
It is a brilliant film and definitely worth considering.