This film is based on
a true story, also on a book with the same title written by Gwen Terasaki
and published in 1957. The book
was a New York Times best seller and was named best non-fiction by the
Washington Post. Gwen Harold is
from Tennessee and she comes with her Aunt Peggy in the 1930’s to see Washington
DC. She meets diplomat Hidenari
(Terry) Terasaki at the Japanese Embassy buffet and they fall in love. The head of the Embassy tries to
discourage their marriage but Terry believes he has the right to choose his
bride. The couple goes to Japan
for their honeymoon, they have a daughter and they come back to Washington when
Terry is again called to serve at the Embassy. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Terry, Gwen and
their daughter Mako are sent back to Japan in an exchange for American
diplomats. Terry is carefully
watched by the secret police because of his opposition to the war. After the surrender, Terry is appointed
as a liaison between Emperor Hirohito and General MacArthur.
This film and the
story are very good. Gwen loves
her husband, she doesn't want to be separated from him and she’s willing to leave her native county to take care of him
and their daughter. This is not an
easy task with American heavy bombers starting their raids into Japan and even
more so after the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki August 9, 1945. 3 ½* (I liked
this movie)
113
min, Drama directed by Etienne Perier with Carroll Baker, James Shigeta, James
Yagi, Tetsuro Tanba, Yoko Takahashi, Hiroshi Tomono, Yoshiko Hiromura, Sean
Garrison, Ruth Masters, Lee Payant.
Note: Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 83% audience on
Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 39 reviews.
Special Note: The thought of American heavy bombers going over your head stayed with me. When I heard airplanes going over my ho
use, I thought of them as being heavy American bombers going out on raids and how I would feel if I was an American in a foreign country.
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