Very well executed

Too much of everything

Load of rubbish!!

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

I saw this movie in theaters during its theatrical release. I was a teenager and usually went to action movies, but this movie really caught my attention. I was of the generation that grew up on Victory at Sea and war movies, but here was a story of a biracial couple in wartime Japan. I found it unusually moving. I particularly remember the line that James Shigeta's friend delivers when he admits that Carol Baker's husband has only a few weeks or maybe a few months to live. That is why he is sending his wife and child away, so they will not have to watch him during his final decline. "Death may be beautiful; dying is not." Words to live by.

I just saw this at the SF Asian American Film Festival. Apparently, there is only one print in existence and no VHS or DVD releases. I hope that you are as lucky as I was and get an opportunity to see it. The lead, Shigeta, was at the screening and spoke a few words to the audience and answered some questions. He got a standing ovation. I was glad that he is still sharp and articulate.The good: 1) James Shigeta is outstanding. He's handsome and skilled. He plays Terasaki with passion and sophistication.2) It's a view of WW2 from the Japanese side, which is all too rare. 3)It's based on a true story, which makes the film resonate even more.4) The dialogue is wonderful. The opening scene is written and acted with a lot of wit which had the audience laughing. 5) It was produced in 1961. Unlike many Hollywood films of the time, Asians have a reasonably accurate portrayal and not just crude caricature (e.g. "Breakfast at Tiffany's").The bad: 1) The film is set in the 1930s and 40s but the costuming and furnishings are straight out of 1960. I'm a bit of a vintage clothing geek so this was jarring.

Actress Carroll Baker never really carved out a niche for herself in Hollywood; a devout Method player, the roles she chose didn't always showcase a woman with any particular range. She's quite good here however, playing real-life American Gwen Terasaki who, while visiting Washington, D.C. from Tennessee, met and fell in love with a Japanese politician. Before you can say 'Sayonara!', Gwen is married and living in Japan, where the customs are confusing and the second World War looms ahead. Opens with a sweet, believable romance, becomes compelling drama of emotional choices. James Shigeta is terrific as Gwen's husband and the production is handsome. *** from ****

This is the true story of Gwen Terasaki who married a Japanese diplomat before World War Two and then returned with him to Japan after Pearl Harbor. It tells the story of the war from an entirely new perspective, and is the first film to depict the racial nature of the Pacific war, and to depict the suffering of the common Japanese people.