EMPEROR : a review

TBH this is not my best review, but it was a movie that made an affect on me, so I'm posting it here. Emperor (2012) Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox This WWII inspired film begins with real footage of the large mushroom cloud of the Atomic Bomb being dropped on Japan. With a quick cut, real footage shows heroic-looking American fighter pilots in their planes flying over during the bombing. I marveled at how the historical footage was shot and appreciated the wartime film clips. I also became uncomfortable at seeing the mushroom cloud, because I realized what that cloud represented. The film is set a few months after the bombings, and at the beginning of the American occupation of Japan. General MacArthur, played by Tommy Lee Jones, briefs his military officials on the next steps of action while on board of a giant aircraft that has landed on an airfield in Tokyo. One of the officials in the briefing is General Bonner Fellers, a cultural expert on Japan, played by Matthew Fox (Party of Five!). Fellers was a real person, a General and advisor to MacArthur. Fellers has a secret that he is hiding from the American military. He has a beautiful Japanese girlfriend, Aya, who has gone missing at the start of the war. Also, since Fellers has been living in Japan for years, he has grown to love the Japanese culture, people, and country itself. Yet, he has to push that all out of his mind and focus on the job at hand…. occupying Japan. In the narration, Fellers says that the Americans must “be seen as liberators, not conquerors” and not ‘impose our will’ on the Japanese. General MacArthur sees it differently. MacArthur, with his “American Swagger” as he calls it, and poor consideration of Japanese customs, contradicts everything Fellers says he wants the American-Japanese relationship to become. Even Fellers intentionally breaks custom when interviewing a former Japanese Prime Minister. He doesn’t bother to take his shoes off when entering the Prime Minister’s home. It’s a calculated sign of disrespect, a show of bravado and power. As an expert of Japanese culture, this is something Fellers would have known. All of these subtle signs show that Americans are in control. The film focuses on Fellers and his internal conflict. He has a few objectives that are at odds with each other. First, he must find the 32 heads of state in Japan, and bring charges against them for war crimes... before many of them try to end their own lives. He also hopes to find the woman he loves. Then, with the slight pull that he has, he tries to guide MacArthur to have some empathy for the Japanese. Also, he has 10 days to interview heads of state to see if Emperor Hirohito should have charges brought on him. If the Emperor is found guilty of inciting war, he could be charged with war crimes and sentenced to death. The ending is surprising and moving. Overall, it was a good film. I saw WWII from a different perspective, that of the Japanese. It made me realize that everyone in war is human, and all have their share of suffering. However, the film was 15 min too long, some stuff about Fellers’ and Aya’s relationship could have been trimmed down. Also, Matthew Fox is playing a guy from 25-35, and he’s about 10 years older than that. He’s good looking and a decent actor so I’ll let it slide. poster image: By Krasnoff Foster Productions/Fellers Film - https://www.imdb.com/media/rm2534318848/tt2103264, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38700173