Sayonara

[American Oyaji]

I am unbelievably sad right now...

Let me explain. In 1996, I saw the 1957 film Sayonara. It became one of my favorite movies.

I just finished the James Michener book that the film was based on.
I felt a connection with the man until the last chapter of the book and I felt completely devestated by the ending. I almost hate him for it.

The 1953 book portrays the final sayonara in a way that the movie can and did not.

When I think of my life...I realize how much I DO love Japan and how much I miss the country.

But I cant return....yet.

Has anyone else seen the movie AND read the book?

[Mulboyne]

I haven't read the book but I enjoyed the film, in spite of the casting of Mexican actor, Ricardo Montalban as Nakamaura, the kabuki star. In fact, I'm beginning to think that Western films about Japan made between the war and the Olympics were more accurate in their portrayal of the country than anything made over the subsequent 30 years or so.
Sam Fuller's "House of Bamboo" with Robert Culp and "Tokyo Joe" with Humphrey Bogart come to mind. Not great films but pretty interesting.
I was surprised by the plot direction in "Sayonara" the film. I'm not a fan of Michener so I've avoided it so far but maybe I should have a look at the book too.

[Charles]

I wish you could have heard my old J-Film professor rant about Sayonara. She emphasized the orientalist and homosexual aspects of the film, as do most modern film critics. She said the subtext of the film was about Brando's wife's attraction to the homosexual onnagata playaed by Montalban, Brando couldn't be a real man to his wife because he was going native, so his wife becomes a fag-hag. Brandon has no objections to being cuckolded, as long as the other man is gay and can't actually do anything with his wife. The situation leaves him free of his Western encumbrances so he can go native.
My professor then would compare Sayonara to an old Taisho era story by Tanizaki (I forget the title) which is autobigraphical, Tanizaki would fix up his wife with gaijin so he could be rid of her, so he could go fool around with gaijin women. Tanizaki was obsessed with Western things, so this "Westernism" was the mirror image of Sayonara's Orientalism.
I can't totally agree with her assessment of Sayonara, but I do think Sayonara is a horrible piece of trash. If you liked the film, you probably liked it for the plot line derived from the bunraku performance of "Love Suicides at Sonezaki." So just go read that instead of watching trash.

[Mulboyne]

She said the subtext of the film was about Brando's wife's attraction to the homosexual onnagata playaed by Montalba

That would be fine if Nakamura is a camped-up onnagata in the film. He isn't. He plays male roles.

[Charles]

That would be fine if Nakamura is a camped-up onnagata in the film. He isn't. He plays male roles.

Well, it's been 6 or 7 years since I heard my professor's rants, and even longer since I saw the film. But I could've sworn Montalban's character played female roles. Maybe it's in the book, I never read it. Most modern film critics project their pet theories onto a film, so even if his character wasn't gay, crossdresser, or any other homosexual signals, the critics would treat the film as if the character was SUPPOSED to have a gay subtext, but it was obviously suppressed because this was the 1950s. You can see why I don't buy into a lot of modern film theory. They see gay signals where nobody else does.

On the other hand, I don't know squat about Kabuki (and I have no interest in learning) so I couldn't tell a fully dressed character was female or male. And I suspect most nihonjin couldn't tell the difference either. But you have to admit, that's about the gayest role Montalban ever played.

[Mulboyne]

But you have to admit, that's about the gayest role Montalban ever played.

Actually, the director, J-oshua Logan, wanted to show a full blown romance between Nakamura and Brando's fiancee. That would have been her revenge on Brando. One of the reasons he cast Montalban is that he thought it would be easier for a 1950's audience to take if the "Japanese" character was not played by an Asian. However, the studio decided against it and so the affair is only hinted at.