Sayonara (1957)

	Directed by: Joshua Logan	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama/Romance NORWEGIAN TITLE Sayonara RUNNING TIME 147 minutes
	Produced by: William Goetz
	Written by (based on the novel by James Michener): Paul Osborn

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Major Lloyd "Ace" Gruver	Marlon Brando	½
Eileen Webster	Patrcia Owens	½
Captain Mike Bailey	James Garner	½
Mrs. Webster	Martha Scott	-
Hana-ogi	Miiko Taka	½
Katsumi Kelly	Miyoshi Umeki
Airman Joe Kelly	Red Buttons	½
Nakamura	Ricardo Montalbán	½
Lt. Gen. Mark Webster	Kent Smith

Review

A story of love between American army men stationed in Japan and local Japanese women, set during the Korean War and starring Marlon Brando as the fighter pilot Major Lloyd Gruver, who falls for Matsubayashi star Hana-ogi (Miiko Taka), contrary to army regulations. Considering the year of production, not too long after WWII, the film is remarkably balanced and broad-minded in its depiction of the two nations and their respective cultures. There are certain simplifications – mainly regarding the female characters – but then again, this was the world of the 1950s, for better or worse. Whenever the filmmakers set up a stilted scene for the sake of plot advancement, Brando’s naturalness and magnetism in front of the camera saves it. So does Red Buttons, as Lloyd's pal, Airman Joe Kelly, who has also fallen in love with and married a Japanese girl (Miyoshi Umeki, in an Academy Award-winning performance). At its core, this is a classical Golden Age of Hollywood romance, but it is made resonant and relevant by the film's respectful cultural exchange and intelligent discussions. And when Sayonara occasionally challenges the Production Code with some sexual innuendos, it underscores the basic urges behind the characters’ so-called insolent actions. One drawback: Ricardo Montalbán is miscast as a Japanese stage star, perhaps more because of the accent than the ridiculous makeup job to make him look Japanese.