is the last film completed by Japanese filmmaker Sadao Yamanaka. Largely unknown outside of Japan until recent years, the film has been hailed by critics (Tadao Sato, Donald Ritchie), and a number of other Japanese filmmakers (Akira Kurosawa among them) as one of the most influential examples of jidaigeki, or Japanese period films. The story is set in the 18th century, and dramatically depicts the struggles and schemes of Unno, a ronin, or masterless samurai in feudal Japan.
Yamanaka was drafted into the Japanese army, entering the service on the day Humanity and Paper Balloons was released theatrically, and died during the war at the age of 29, while stationed in Manchuria. With the exception of this film, and 2 others, Yamanaka's 30+ films were lost after the war.
References
Donald Richie: 100 Years Of Japanese Cinema, Kodansha, 2003.
Arne Svensson: Japan: Screen Series, Zwemmer/Barnes, 1970.
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