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Sayonara
Joshua Logan

Sayonara

  • Drama
  • Romance

"I am not allowed to love. But I will love you if that is your desire..."

Play Trailer
RELEASE

1957-12-25

BUGET

N/A

LENGTH

147 min

Description

Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver (Marlon Brando) is reassigned to a Japanese air base, and is confronted with US racial prejudice against the Japanese people. The issue is compounded because a number of the soldiers become romantically involved with Japanese women, in defiance of US military policy. Ordinarily an officer who is by-the-book, Gruver must take a position when a buddy of his, an enlisted man Joe Kelly (Red Buttons) falls in love with a Japanese woman Katsumi (Miyoshi Umeki) and marries her. Gruver risks his position by serving as best man at the wedding ceremony.

Reviews

PFP

Wuchak

@Wuchak

Brando’s romantic culture clash in Japan after WW2

In 1951, an American Air Force pilot serving in Korea (Marlon Brando) is reassigned to Kobe, Japan, where he deals with his American fiancé (Patricia Owens) and a Japanese performer who attracts his attention (Miiko Taka). The problem is there’s a military order against fraternizing with indigenous women. James Garner and Red Buttons have peripheral roles while Ricardo Montalban is on hand as a famous Kabuki entertainer.

“Sayonara” (1957) is a romantic drama highlighted by Brando’s performance as a genial Southern officer, the Japanese culture & locations, plus the quaint conventions of the time period, not to mention Garner in one of his earliest roles. It’s similar to “The Ugly American” (1963), but arguably better. “Désirée” (1954) is another apt comparison, despite taking placing during the Napoleonic era.

The film is a little long at 2 hours, 27 minutes, but I didn’t mind. It was shot in Japan with some stuff done in Burbank & Hollywood.

GRADE: B