Sayonara (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Sayonara', a 1957 drama directed by Joshua Logan, is a controversial-for-its-time motion picture set in Japan in 1951; during the Korean War. Marlon Brando plays American air force ace Major Lloyd Gruver, a quirky Southerner who is sent to an air base at Kobe to recuperate from combat fatigue. Strings have been pulled by a certain General Webster (Gruvers prospective father-in-law) in getting him assigned to the Aviation Board. The general's wife & their daughter, Eileen (a blandish Patricia Owens) arrive from the states. Eileen is a sophisticated & pretty young woman who's madly in love Gruver, & he is quite happy when she arrives. But there is marked difference in attitude toward the kind of marriage that they both want.
Gruver is appalled when Mrs. Webster demands that her General husband reprimand a Marine Captain (young James Garner) for trying to bring his Japanese girlfriend into the Officers Club. Racial tension arises again when Kelly (Red Buttons) a quarrelsome airman, comrade, & traveling companion of Gruvers, ignores advice & appeals to his Congressman in order to marry his sweet Japanese girlfriend, Katsumi (Miyoshi Umeki). Fighting back his own homebred prejudices, Gruver agrees to be Kellys' best man at his wedding to Katsumi.
Shortly after this, while attending a Kabuki show with Eileen, Gruver finds himself falling for the show's beautiful female star, Hana-Ogi (Miiko Taka). This ignites an onslaught of racial bigotry from the Army, and an official edict is drawn up which would send American male soldiers back to the U.S. without their new Japanese wives. Tragedy strikes. And while there is a sort of happy ending ... the various characters must still ward off the inbred prejudices of their people (frowning upon relationships btwn. an American male to a Japanese female, Japanese female to American male, American female to Japanese male, etc.).
Marlon Brando is pretty great, here. When we 1st meet him, his Gruver is a fairly likable, if passive young man. However, later, through his love for Hana-Ogi & awareness of the intense prejudice that resides in the military, he starts to show a greater moralistic concern & courage in handling these troublesome social issues. Brando chose to inflect a Southern accent for the role. Director Joshua Logan thought it a strange decision until he saw the type of character Brando wanted to construct & convey. It winds up being a successful decision. An interesting note: Brando, a staunch liberal with an acute interest in foreign/Eastern locales, jumped at the idea of starring in 'Sayonara' because of the film's message about racial understanding & tolerance.
Red Buttons, typically a comedian, is passionate & effective in his dramatic role. Miyoshi Umeki conveys kindness & gentility as Katsumi. And Miiko Taka plays Hana-Ogi with beauty, low-key charm & vulnerability. Her touch-&-go relationship with Brando's character is a highlight because they & we know the unbelievable danger & ramifications that each would have to endure if their forbidden love is discovered. And yet, courage wins out.
Technically speaking, 'Sayonara' is capably constructed. The Japanese locales are beautifully photographed by cinematographer Ellsworth Fredericks. The production design - sets of the giant Buddhas, the Geisha training school, the puppet theater, the great Kabuki Theater, the Imperial gardens, & various Japanese interiors - all feel very authentic. The many & varied costumes (Japanese kimonos, stage dresses, military attire, common folk outfits) are excellent. Frank Waxman's musical score is stellar. I could go on & on; very impressed with the filmmaking in 'Sayonara'.
'Sayonara' was also a very timely motion picture. According to a study made in the mid 1950s, more than 10,000 American servicemen married Japanese women despite the strict regulations. 'Sayonara' is one of the 1st films to show interracial relationships/marriage. And while it's not the most intelligent or narratively propulsive film that it could be, I think it's a very good & interesting entertainment with laudable performances from the main cast.
Gruver is appalled when Mrs. Webster demands that her General husband reprimand a Marine Captain (young James Garner) for trying to bring his Japanese girlfriend into the Officers Club. Racial tension arises again when Kelly (Red Buttons) a quarrelsome airman, comrade, & traveling companion of Gruvers, ignores advice & appeals to his Congressman in order to marry his sweet Japanese girlfriend, Katsumi (Miyoshi Umeki). Fighting back his own homebred prejudices, Gruver agrees to be Kellys' best man at his wedding to Katsumi.
Shortly after this, while attending a Kabuki show with Eileen, Gruver finds himself falling for the show's beautiful female star, Hana-Ogi (Miiko Taka). This ignites an onslaught of racial bigotry from the Army, and an official edict is drawn up which would send American male soldiers back to the U.S. without their new Japanese wives. Tragedy strikes. And while there is a sort of happy ending ... the various characters must still ward off the inbred prejudices of their people (frowning upon relationships btwn. an American male to a Japanese female, Japanese female to American male, American female to Japanese male, etc.).
Marlon Brando is pretty great, here. When we 1st meet him, his Gruver is a fairly likable, if passive young man. However, later, through his love for Hana-Ogi & awareness of the intense prejudice that resides in the military, he starts to show a greater moralistic concern & courage in handling these troublesome social issues. Brando chose to inflect a Southern accent for the role. Director Joshua Logan thought it a strange decision until he saw the type of character Brando wanted to construct & convey. It winds up being a successful decision. An interesting note: Brando, a staunch liberal with an acute interest in foreign/Eastern locales, jumped at the idea of starring in 'Sayonara' because of the film's message about racial understanding & tolerance.
Red Buttons, typically a comedian, is passionate & effective in his dramatic role. Miyoshi Umeki conveys kindness & gentility as Katsumi. And Miiko Taka plays Hana-Ogi with beauty, low-key charm & vulnerability. Her touch-&-go relationship with Brando's character is a highlight because they & we know the unbelievable danger & ramifications that each would have to endure if their forbidden love is discovered. And yet, courage wins out.
Technically speaking, 'Sayonara' is capably constructed. The Japanese locales are beautifully photographed by cinematographer Ellsworth Fredericks. The production design - sets of the giant Buddhas, the Geisha training school, the puppet theater, the great Kabuki Theater, the Imperial gardens, & various Japanese interiors - all feel very authentic. The many & varied costumes (Japanese kimonos, stage dresses, military attire, common folk outfits) are excellent. Frank Waxman's musical score is stellar. I could go on & on; very impressed with the filmmaking in 'Sayonara'.
'Sayonara' was also a very timely motion picture. According to a study made in the mid 1950s, more than 10,000 American servicemen married Japanese women despite the strict regulations. 'Sayonara' is one of the 1st films to show interracial relationships/marriage. And while it's not the most intelligent or narratively propulsive film that it could be, I think it's a very good & interesting entertainment with laudable performances from the main cast.