Philosophy of a Knife

Philosophy of a Knife Poster Country Russia United States Directed by Andrey Iskanov Release Date 2008 Language English Russian Studio Unearthed Films Distributor TLA Releasing Main Cast Character Actor The Officer #1 Tetsuro Sakagami The Officer #2 Tomoya Okamoto Female Nurse #1 Yukari Fujimoto The Female Nurse #2 Yumiko Fujiwara The Female Nurse #3 Masaki Kitagava The Female Nurse #4 Reiko Niakawa The Favorite Girl Elena Romanova Probatova The Pregnant Girl Irina Nikitina The Blond Girl Tatyana Kopeykina The Brunette Girl Veronika Leonova

Philosophy of a Knife is a 2008 Russian-American horror Z-movie, loosely based on the story of Japanese Unit 731. The film was critically panned due to its ultra-intense graphic violence and meaningless content, very little matching with real historical circumstances.

Note: This movie was filmed in Khabarovsk, Russia, which likely influenced the choice of weapons shown in the movie.

The following weapons were used in the film Philosophy of a Knife:

Pistols

Nambu Type 14

A rare appearance in a Russian movie, the historically correct Nambu Type 14 is used by The Officer #1 (Tetsuro Sakagami) throughout the movie. In firing scenes, the muzzle flash is added through CGI, and the bolt never moves.

Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that while the screen gun is obviously a late-model Nambu, part of the slide is taken from the early Nambu model. Most likely, the movie prop was partially broken and repaired with parts from other Nambu Type 14 pistols, or possibly even assembled from numerous heavily-damaged Nambus.

Two Nambu Type 14s can also be seen in a gun closet.

Late Nambu Type 14 - 8x22mm Nambu

The officer draws his Nambu.

The officer threatens the girl (Irina Zenkina).

The officer puts his Nambu to the boy (Vladimir Volodin).

A close-up.

The officer grabs his Nambu from the table of guns.

A close-up view of the ejection port.

A close-up view of the cocking knob.

The officer draws his Nambu.

A close-up.

The officer aims.

A closer view of the wooden grips.

The officer aims his Nambu at the girl (Elena Romanova Probatova).

Two Nambus can be seen at the left, under the Mauser.

Walther PP

The Officer #1 (Tetsuro Sakagami) briefly holds a Walther PP at one point.

War Time Walther PP - .32 ACP

The officer grabs the pistol from the table of guns.

Another view of this pistol.

A closer view of the pistol.

The officer prepares to put the pistol back.

Walther P88 Compact

A heavily anachronistic Walther P88 Compact can be seen in the hands of The Officer #1 (Tetsuro Sakagami) at one point.

Walther P88 Compact - 9x19mm

The officer grabs the P88 from the table of guns.

A good view of the gun.

A closer view.

The officer aims.

Makarov PM

In firing scenes, The Officer #1's P88 switches to an also anachronistic Makarov PM.

Makarov PM - 9x18mm Makarov

The officer aims...

...and fires.

Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

The Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" can be seen in a gun closet.

Mauser C96 "Pre-War Commercial" - 7.63x25mm Mauser

The Mauser can be seen at the top, left. Note the two Nambus under it.

Revolvers

Blow 38

The Officer #1 (Tetsuro Sakagami) inspects a Blow 38 in one scene.

Blow 38, black finish - 9mm R.K and P.A.K. blanks

The officer grabs the revolver from the table of guns.

The officer inspects the revolver.

The revolver can be seen.

The officer puts the revolver back on the table.

Nagant M1895

A Nagant M1895 can be seen held by The Officer #1 (Tetsuro Sakagami).

Nagant M1895 Revolver - 7.62x38R Nagant. This example was dated 1939 manufacture and was a War time issued weapon. Note the angular front sight which was used from 1930s.

The officer grabs the revolver from the table of guns.

The hammer can be seen.

The top of the Nagant can be seen.

The rear sight can be seen.

The grip can be seen.

Rifles

Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers are armed with completely historically incorrect Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifles.

Full-length, Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle with Russian PU 3.5x sniper scope (this example is one of the repurposed SVT-40 scopes, 91/30 PU scopes had consistent tube diameter as the mount rings were shorter) and down turned bolt handle - 7.62x54mm R

Numerous Mosin Nagants near the wall.

Note the turned-down bolt handle.

Arisaka Type 38

Numerous Arisaka Type 38s can be seen in a gun closet.

Arisaka Type 38 rifle - 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka

Numerous rifles can be seen.

The muzzles can be seen.

Grenades

F-1 Hand Grenade

A F-1 hand grenade can be seen on the table of guns.

F-1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

The grenade at the left.

F1 Hand Grenade

A French F1 hand grenade can also be seen on the table of guns.

F1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade with Mle1916 Billant fuse.

The grenade at the right.

Other

The Gun Room

Numerous unknown guns can be seen in the gun room.

The guns on the table.

Numerous guns.

MS-1 Tank

The Imperial Japanese Army uses a Soviet MS-1 tank. According to the shape of the turret and especially the gun mounting, the actual MS-1 in the movie is an exhibit from the Museum of Russian Military History.

The front...

...and rear parts.

The main weaponry.

The left...

...the right...

...and center parts.

Archival Footage

Numerous footage from old movies, as well as old war photos and actual historical footage, can be seen.

Russo-Japanese War

Russian Navy ships, sunk in Port Arthur in 1904.

Heavy cannon.

Rifle-wielding soldiers.

A naval cannon during battle.

Naval ship.

Naval ship.

Naval cannons.

Japanese intervention in Siberia

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers with the Arisaka Rifles.

Naval ships.

Field cannon.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers, armed with the Arisaka Type 38s.

The rifle-armed Imperial Japanese Army soldiers.

Second Sino-Japanese War

Soldiers with rifles.

Japanese poster.

Imperial Japanese soldiers with Arisaka Rifles.

Cannon.

Field cannon.

Field cannon.

A heavy cannon...

...is fired.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers prepares to attack, Arisaka rifles in hands.

Japanese tanks.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers with the Arisakas.

Cannon.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers.

Partisans.

Multiple IJN Vickers Crossley armored cars.

Rifle-wielding Imperial Japanese Army soldiers.

Japanese poster.

Japanese soldiers with rifles.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers with the Arisaka rifle.

Imperial Japanese soldiers fires their Arisakas.

Battle of Lake Khasan

Poster.

An Imperial Japanese Army soldiers fires his Type 92 heavy machine gun.

The Imperial Japanese Army soldier with the Arisaka rifle.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers with the Arisakas.

An Imperial Japanese Army soldier with the Type 11 light machine gun.

An Imperial Japanese Army soldier with the Arisaka.

Cannons.

Cannons.

A Soviet soldier on horseback with a PPD-34/38.

Battles of Khalkhin Gol

A Mongolian soldier with the Degtyaryov DP-28.

Rifle-wielding soldiers and the tank.

Soviet soldiers with the Mosin-Nagants and PPD-34/38.

A Japanese soldier charges his Arisaka Type 99.

Despite posing as Khalkhin Gol footage, this is in reality much later footage as these planes are Soviet Pe-2 bombers, which were first introduced in 1941. Most likely, this is footage shot between 1943 and 1945.

Winter War

A Finnish soldier fires his Maxim M1910.

The Finnish soldiers with the Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant.

Soldiers with rifles.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Imperial Japanese Navy combat planes attack Pearl Harbor.

Ditto.

The bombing.

The armament of destroyed American planes.

Battle of Iwo Jima

American soldiers with M1 Carbines.

An American soldier with the M1 Flamethrower.

Ditto.

American soldiers with M1 Garands and an M2 Flamethrower.

The American soldier with the M2 Flamethrower.

Surrender of Germany

A Soviet tank.

The Soviet soldiers with Mosin Nagant Rifles.

A Soviet soldier with a PPSh-41.

The Soviet soldiers with the Mosin Nagants during the Red Square victory parade.

Soviet–Japanese War

A Soviet T-34-85 tank.

A Soviet tank.

A Soviet tank.

Soviet cannon.

Ditto.

A Soviet soldier with the PPSh-41.

Il-2 (or maybe a mix of Il-2 and Il-10) planes.

A Soviet soldier with the PPSh.

Soviet soldiers.

A Soviet soldier fires his PTRD-41.

A Soviet soldier with the PPSh-41.

A Soviet soldier with the PPSh.

A Soviet ISU-152 self-propelled gun.

A Soviet Goryunov SG-43 Machine Gun, mounted on a motorcycle.

Ditto.

Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The Little Boy bomb.

The B-29 Enola Gay bomber.

The Fat Man bomb.

The Bockscar bomber.

The bombers.

Surrender of Japan

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers puts their Arisaka Type 99 rifles on the ground

A holstered Mauser C96.

Other Footages

Japanese cadets (Meiji era) with rifles.

Rifles in a Japanese military plant.

Nazi Germany soldiers.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers with the Arisakas.

Ditto.

Japanese boys with toy guns during a festival. The boy at the center holds a Tanegashima.

Soldiers with the rifles.

Rocket artillery.

American soldiers during an attack.

LVT-class amphibious vehicles (the exact model cannot be identified, but may possibly be an LVT-4).

A tank.

American soldiers.