Blood on the Sun (1945) Reviews

• Entertaining Espionage

  matukonyc12004-06-17

  Jimmy Cagney is like a firecracker in this movie, set in pre-WWII Japan. In some ways it's a cross between Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon and sometimes it's silly (e.g., white actors in Japanese makeup), but it's one of the most entertaining movies of its era. It reminds you how much of a talent James Cagney was - he carries the picture. There are also excellent character performances by Wallace Ford and Porter Hall. Even Sylvia Sidney as an unconvincing half-Chinese vixen has some good moments. Beware of the DVD, however - the audio is mixed so badly that at times you'll have to put your ear up against the TV to hear the dialogue.

• What was "THE TANAKA MEMORIAL"?

  theowinthrop2004-11-09

  No one can deny that Adolf Hitler wrote MEIN KAMPF, and spelled out his anti-Semitism, his plans for German domination of at least Europe and possibly the globe, and his desire for the destructions of Jews, Slavs, and other "undesireables" in his world view. It is there in full print, and one can still read it. Moreover Nazis and their supporters boast of the book's brilliance and clarity. So nobody denies that book and it's authorship. But other political writings have a less stable provenance. For instance, the Zinovieff letter of 1924. It was supposedly written by Gregory Zinovieff, one of the leading figures of the Soviet Government of that day, and it was supposedly advising Russian communists to support the reelection of the Ramsay MacDonald Labor Government. The letter suggested that support for Labor would lead to a Sovietized Britain. As a result of the publication of the letter, MacDonald's minority government lost reelection and Stanley Baldwin's Tories took control for five years. It is now certain that the letter was not written by Zinovieff, but by anti-Soviet Russians living in exile in France, and that the Tories used it unscrupulously but successfully, to win the election. Similarly we have the "maguffin" of this film: "The Tanaka Memorial". Baron Tanaka was a leading Japanese political figure who supposedly wrote this fanatical piece about the need for Japan to expand in Asia, at the expense of the colonial empires of France, Britain, Holland, and Portugal, and the United States. The story went that this paper was meant for the loyal members of the army and navy of Japan, but it got out to non-fanatics who threatened to publish it. And the result was that Tanaka was disgraced, and committed suicide (he did commit suicide, but we don't really know the reason). Historians are mostly skeptical about the truth regarding this document, though a few still insist it was a blueprint for Japanese expansion and aggression. In actuality, given the paucity of needed natural resources in Japan, aggression against neighbors like China, Korea, Russia, Indonesia, the Philippines makes sense without the need for a formal document stating their need to expand. But the story spread, and given the anti-Japanese mood of the Americans in 1945 a film based on the publication of the document was inevitable. Because several figures in the film (John Emery as Tanaka, and Marvin Miller as the head of the Tokyo Police Department) are occidentals performing as Japanese there is a feeling that the the film is racist. Actually it isn't - in fact it is rather the reverse. In 1945 it was rare to have a film where Germans (aside from refugees, who were probably Jewish) were good people. An exception is that marvelous Spencer Tracy movie THE SEVENTH CROSS. As the country that had sent the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and caused the Bataan Death March, it was even harder to be friendly to Japan. But this films reminds us that Tanaka and those fanatics were not all the Japanese. Many opposed the militarists, and tried to keep their nation in line with the U.S. and Britain (one of the moderates, by the way, was Admiral Yamamoto, who knew how powerful the U.S. was having been military attaché in Washington - ironically in this film he is painted as a vicious militarist planning to attend the surrender of the United States in the White House). Unfortunately the militarists used political assassination throughout the late 1920s and 1930s to force the politicians into silence or acquiescence to their aggressive policies. Few Americans realized this, especially after the anger that arose after December 7, 1941. James Cagney was remarkable for his willingness to be different in choosing material for his films and for doing odd bits in them. He did mostly melodramas, but he varied them with Shakespeare (his Bottom in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM), westerns (THE OKLAHOMA KID), musicals (FOOTLIGHT PARADE, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY - his Oscar winning part), and comedies (THE BRIDE CAME C.O.D.). In the film TAXI (a melodrama about a gang trying to dominate the taxi industry in New York City) Cagney added a gag scene where he talked fluent Yiddish to a Jewish passenger. Imagine Bogart or even the Jewish Edward G. Robinson doing that - only Cagney could get away with it. In an independent film musical he made in the 1930s, SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT, Cagney had several scenes with Philip Ahn playing Ito, his valet. When he first shows up (Ahn has been hired for Cagney, sight unseen) he speaks a pidgin English. But as soon as Cagney shows he is a realist, Ahn thanks him for allowing him to speak like a normal person (Ahn is a college graduate). It may have been the first time an Asiatic was played as an intelligent (and non-belligerent) human being. Similarly here Cagney (and his brother William, who produced his films and helped choose his properties) are fair to the bulk of the Japanese, who were normal people like ours. He paints the militarists as foolish villains, but he reminds us that they were only more unscrupulous and better organized. With a little bit of real luck they might have been kept under control. Tragically they weren't.

• Culturally sensitive war thriller

  jeffchan2003-06-25

  Nicely done war thriller with Cagney as a suave but pugnacious newspaper reporter in Japan who comes into possession of secret war plans. The plans are the work of a fascist Baron Tanaka who pushes the war agenda for the right-wing militarists over the objections of those opposed to war. The characters are interesting, and while many are static yet well-played, quite a few others are nicely fleshed out and grow during the plot. Cagney, some of the newspapermen and the female spy have some plot movement to develop their characters with. Even the villains, who could easily be cardboard, are well-played and exhibit human motivation. Obviously this is not a documentary, but it's also not pure melodrama either. Perhaps the most visually interesting areas of the film are the contrasts between beautiful, high-class modernist settings, a representation of more traditional Japanese architecture, and gritty realistically-dressed street scenes. All the more interesting that the good production and pretty sets were created in Hollywood backlots in 1945 during the war. While this is not a huge film, the production design is as good as anything from the golden age. There is a lot of eye-candy in the set design, tastefully filmed and a treat to view. The politics and cultural sensitivities of the film are also fascinating and far more balanced and subtle than other reviewers seem to indicate here. Cagney's character is well-immersed in Japanese culture and aware of the social issues of the time. He speaks Japanese, in addition to Chinese, and is a highly-skilled Judo aficionado. The film portrays Japanese opponents of the war as well-meaning but fairly easily countered by ruthless militarists and their secret police which is likely generally accurate. Surely similar struggles played out in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, along with Stalinist Russia, Mao's China and other 20th century totalitarian dictatorships both right and left. This film is not anti-Japanese; it's anti-Fascist. Those who claim to be unaware of the difference would imply that Japanese are Fascists. That would be unfortunately ignorant.

• Suspense and action with Cagney uncovering Japanese plans for world control

  ma-cortes2006-02-08

  While the entire world watched the early success of the German book ¨Mein Kampf¨ by Adolph Hitler , few were aware of the existence of an Oriental Hitler...Baron Giichi Tanaka , he was a true life a bad guy who united with rich proprietaries and war lords to further his own ends . His plan of world conquest and dominance depended upon secrecy for success. This story deals with its first exposure by an American newspaperman (James Cagney) in Tokyo . Thus , Cagney publishes in a newspaper called ¨Tokyo Chronicle¨ that Tanaka plans attack on United States and China is the first victim of Premier Tanaka's plan for military conquest , revealing the existence of a document blueprint . Besides , marriage Mr. and Mrs. Miller (Wallace Ford and Rosemary DeCamp) have been murdered and Cagney will investigate it . Meanwhile , he falls in love with a charming double spy (Sylvia Sidney) . This interesting picture combines intrigue , action , violence , noir cinema , historical background and arts martial fights , being the first American film in which there are arts martial (Judo) struggles . The movie is based on the history behind Japan's alleged Tanaka Plan , aka the Tanaka Memorial document , it was made public after his death in 1929 . This allegedly was Prime Minister Baron Giichi Tanaka's militarist strategic plan for world domination prepared for Emperor Hirohito . It was first printed in China by the Chinese communists and in the US by a communist periodical , leading some to think that it was a forgery , no Japanese version has ever been found . Plus , it appears notorious historical characters who will intervene in Second War World , as colonel Tojo (Robert Amstrong) , emperor Hiro Hito , Yamada (Martin Milner) and Tanaka (John Emery) . And film debut of judo/martial arts expert John Halloran . Magnificent Music Score with oriental sounds by the classic composer Miklos Rozsa . The film won Oscars for the best Art Direction and Interior decoration and was produced by Cagney Production . The motion picture was well directed by Frank Lloyd who realized excellent movies (Mutiny of the Bounty, If I were King , Under two flags) . Rating : Good and entertaining .

• Entertaining WWII drama with Hero editor Cagney at the helm

  Maestro-152000-01-29

  Entertaining Anti-Japanese drama centering on James Cagney as an American editor in 1930's Japan involved in breaking the Japanese plot to invade China and bomb the United States. This film is interesting in that it fairly represents the anti-Japanese sentiment going on in the US since Pearl Harbor. Cagney, as always, is solid in this character as well as the other principals. As usual, the lead Japanese characters are played by Caucasian actors as was the custom of the times. Good Judo sequence for Cagney fans..