Sayonara (1957)

A U.S. Air Force pilot who is fighting in the Korean war gets assigned to a desk job in Japan, where his girlfriend is living with her parents. He takes another sentimental turn, however, courting, and then having a relationship with a Japanese theatrical performer.

It is difficult for me to decide what was more aggravating: this film or the recent reception it got. As a matter of fact, whenever I read the word 'racism' I know I am in for some serious stomach discomfort. We are definitely living in the planet of the Parrobots -- a word of my own coinage that designates a blend of a parrot and a robot. I honestly do not think there is any racism in the historical events which provide the context of this film's plot. But, of course, racism is a word that is used more and more loosely with each passing day. And, I am forced to say, that trend began around the time this film was made. Another interesting aspect is how 'love' is such a useful concept when people want to tell lies, and how those same people tear that concept apart when they want to tell a different sort of lies. Getting back to the film, part of it is a legitimate dramatization of the real problem of loneliness that afflicted many soldiers. and how some post-war regulations put some of them in a rather sad situation. Unfortunately, this is merely an instrument to highlight the drama of a war hero who has a beautiful American girlfriend and, implausibly enough, ditches her for a Japanese woman. To compound the implausibility, this prompts the American girlfriend to befriend a Japanese male performer and delve into Japanese culture. In short, it is a feast of international exchange, with a tragedy thrown in for good measure. Anyway, movies are prisoners of history, albeit in dissimulated ways, and it is never too much to remind one that the Civil Rights Movement was gathering steam in 1957 and there was the Voting Act that same year. People like to be preached at, as long they are entertained in the process. And if you still think the main character is incomprehensible, there is always Poe's The Imp of the Perverse to provide some clarification.

Rating: 38