Behind the Rising Sun (film)
Encyclopedia
Behind the Rising Sun is a 1943 American
war film
based on the 1941 book by the same name written by James R Young. Later-blacklisted
Edward Dmytryk
directed the film, and it stars Margo, Tom Neal
, J. Carrol Naish
, Robert Ryan
and Gloria Holden
.
, Reo Seki (J.Carrol Naish) receives the ashes of his dead son and blames himself for the death.
It is 1936 Taro Seki (Tom Neal) returns from America to Japan, in hope to work for an American engineer, Clancy O'Hara (Don Douglas). He falls in love with Clancy's secretary, Tama Shimamura (Margo) and they plan to marry. But, his father does not accept their marriage because Tama is not from a respectable family. Taro is then drafted to the war in China. Tama and Taro write frequent letters to each other and Tama attempts to show Reo Seki all the letters Taro has sent but he refuses to see them or have anything to do with his son. Meanwhile in China, Taro finds out the true brutality of war and how cruel the Japanese are to the poor in China, he is told to agree and live with it by a higher-ranked officer. Sara Braden (Gloria Holden) is an American reporter in China as well as Clancy O'Hara's girlfriend, and she complains to Taro about the violence that the Japanese soldiers are showing towards others but Taro, remembering what the higher-ranked officer had told him, shrugs it off. Outraged, Sara tells him that the war has changed him. Tama and Reo receive news that Taro is coming home and arrange for a celebration with Clancy, Boris (George Givot) and Max (Wolfgang Zilzer). When Taro arrives, he is different. Reo explains that he has arranged for Tama to be adopted into a respectable family and will allow them to marry. But then, Sara comes in and tells everyone about the children that Taro let die in China to which Tama is in shock. Clancy comments on the Japanese which angers Taro and he demands a fight. They both choose a proxy; Clancy brings American Lefty O'Doyle (Robert Ryan) and Taro chooses a Japanese judo expert (Miles Mazurki). Lefty O'Doyle wins and the judo wrestler is killed for the shame he has brought on the emperor. Clancy warns Tama that Sara was right, Taro has changed but she has arranged an outing to the countryside to see her parents for the last time before her adoption. When they arrive in the countryside, Tama finds out that her younger sister has been sold in order for her parents to attain more money for Tama and her wedding. Tama begs for Taro to buy back her younger sister and he agrees. Reo warns Clancy that he should leave Japan immediately and return to America because he knows that they will attack Pearl Harbor
. Back in the countryside, Taro has now heard news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the emperor's call to all his men and leaves the country home. Tama asks if he will save her sister in Tokyo but he replies that there is no time for personal issues when the emperor is in their need and that her sister was a noble sacrifice. Tama returns to Tokyo in search of her sister but is taken to prison under suspicion of being a spy for working under Clancy. A year later, Taro, now in the air corps regiment, testifies against Tama, Clancy and Sara saying that he was "suspicious of them from the first time he met them". Soon after, Clancy proposes to Sara and there is an American bombing raid on Tokyo in which Reo attempts to save Tama, Clancy and Sara but Tama refuses at last minute. At the same time, Taro's plane is hit and he dies.
It is now back to the opening scene, Reo repudiates the emperor and then commits suicide through seppuku/hara-kiri (stomach cutting) in hope that his own death will bring the people of Japan back to their senses.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
based on the 1941 book by the same name written by James R Young. Later-blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
directed the film, and it stars Margo, Tom Neal
Tom Neal
Thomas Neal was an American actor best known for appearing in the critically lauded film Detour, a tryst with Barbara Payton and later committing manslaughter.-Career:...
, J. Carrol Naish
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
, Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
and Gloria Holden
Gloria Holden
-Early life:Gloria Holden came to America as a child. She attended school in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.-Theater:...
.
Plot
In 1943, in the middle of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Reo Seki (J.Carrol Naish) receives the ashes of his dead son and blames himself for the death.
It is 1936 Taro Seki (Tom Neal) returns from America to Japan, in hope to work for an American engineer, Clancy O'Hara (Don Douglas). He falls in love with Clancy's secretary, Tama Shimamura (Margo) and they plan to marry. But, his father does not accept their marriage because Tama is not from a respectable family. Taro is then drafted to the war in China. Tama and Taro write frequent letters to each other and Tama attempts to show Reo Seki all the letters Taro has sent but he refuses to see them or have anything to do with his son. Meanwhile in China, Taro finds out the true brutality of war and how cruel the Japanese are to the poor in China, he is told to agree and live with it by a higher-ranked officer. Sara Braden (Gloria Holden) is an American reporter in China as well as Clancy O'Hara's girlfriend, and she complains to Taro about the violence that the Japanese soldiers are showing towards others but Taro, remembering what the higher-ranked officer had told him, shrugs it off. Outraged, Sara tells him that the war has changed him. Tama and Reo receive news that Taro is coming home and arrange for a celebration with Clancy, Boris (George Givot) and Max (Wolfgang Zilzer). When Taro arrives, he is different. Reo explains that he has arranged for Tama to be adopted into a respectable family and will allow them to marry. But then, Sara comes in and tells everyone about the children that Taro let die in China to which Tama is in shock. Clancy comments on the Japanese which angers Taro and he demands a fight. They both choose a proxy; Clancy brings American Lefty O'Doyle (Robert Ryan) and Taro chooses a Japanese judo expert (Miles Mazurki). Lefty O'Doyle wins and the judo wrestler is killed for the shame he has brought on the emperor. Clancy warns Tama that Sara was right, Taro has changed but she has arranged an outing to the countryside to see her parents for the last time before her adoption. When they arrive in the countryside, Tama finds out that her younger sister has been sold in order for her parents to attain more money for Tama and her wedding. Tama begs for Taro to buy back her younger sister and he agrees. Reo warns Clancy that he should leave Japan immediately and return to America because he knows that they will attack Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. Back in the countryside, Taro has now heard news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the emperor's call to all his men and leaves the country home. Tama asks if he will save her sister in Tokyo but he replies that there is no time for personal issues when the emperor is in their need and that her sister was a noble sacrifice. Tama returns to Tokyo in search of her sister but is taken to prison under suspicion of being a spy for working under Clancy. A year later, Taro, now in the air corps regiment, testifies against Tama, Clancy and Sara saying that he was "suspicious of them from the first time he met them". Soon after, Clancy proposes to Sara and there is an American bombing raid on Tokyo in which Reo attempts to save Tama, Clancy and Sara but Tama refuses at last minute. At the same time, Taro's plane is hit and he dies.
It is now back to the opening scene, Reo repudiates the emperor and then commits suicide through seppuku/hara-kiri (stomach cutting) in hope that his own death will bring the people of Japan back to their senses.
Cast
- Margo as Tama Shimamura
- Tom NealTom NealThomas Neal was an American actor best known for appearing in the critically lauded film Detour, a tryst with Barbara Payton and later committing manslaughter.-Career:...
as Taro Seki - J. Carrol NaishJ. Carrol NaishJoseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
as Reo Seki - Robert RyanRobert RyanRobert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
as Lefty O'Doyle - Gloria HoldenGloria Holden-Early life:Gloria Holden came to America as a child. She attended school in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.-Theater:...
as Sara Braden - Donald DouglasDonald DouglasDonald Douglas may refer to:*Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. , founder of Douglas Aircraft Company*Donald Wills Douglas, Jr. , son of the founder and later president of the company*Donald Douglas , film and television actor...
as Clancy O'Hara (as Don Douglas) - George Givot as Boris
- Adeline De Walt Reynolds as Grandmother
- Leonard StrongLeonard StrongLeonard Alfred George Strong was an English writer, known as a novelist, journalist, poet and director of the publishers Methuen Ltd.- Life :...
as Tama's Father
External links
- Review by Dennis Schwartz