A lesser film from Bogart to be sure and my rating is likely a little high because as a Bogart fan it's a treat to see a film from him I haven't seen before.
Set in post-WWII Tokyo our protagonist Joe (Humphrey Bogart) is both a nightclub owner in Tokyo who left just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but also a war hero who has just returned to see what has become of his club and his friend Ito who he left in charge. He is stunned to learn that the wife he left behind and who had been reported as dead is both alive and remarried with a young daughter. In order to extend his stay in Japan and try and convince his wife to return to him Joe becomes involved in a shady business venture with Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa). This as a result puts Joe in the middle between the Japanese underworld and the American authorities.
Although I enjoyed seeing Bogart on screen again it's neither a great part nor a particularly strong performance although he as usual has a powerful presence in his scenes and that's enough for me. The other performer of note is Sessue Hayakawa (Bridge on the River Kwai), who isn't really given a lot to do but does very effectively project his characters menace.
The film's formula is somewhat derivative of other Bogart films and his roles in those films, the most obvious parallels can be found with Casablanca. To begin with both characters are night club owners in exotic locales, both present a cynical front but are heroic and both are separated from the woman they once loved.
Although filmed at least partially in Japan we don't see a lot of the country, we are presented with some interesting Japanese culture which includes a few brief martial arts scenes as well as the Japanese language. This may not seem very usual today, but the film was made very shortly after the war.
The co-operation of the American authorities likely contributed to their favorable portrayal. The portrayal of the Japanese is mixed.
Set in post-WWII Tokyo our protagonist Joe (Humphrey Bogart) is both a nightclub owner in Tokyo who left just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but also a war hero who has just returned to see what has become of his club and his friend Ito who he left in charge. He is stunned to learn that the wife he left behind and who had been reported as dead is both alive and remarried with a young daughter. In order to extend his stay in Japan and try and convince his wife to return to him Joe becomes involved in a shady business venture with Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa). This as a result puts Joe in the middle between the Japanese underworld and the American authorities.
Although I enjoyed seeing Bogart on screen again it's neither a great part nor a particularly strong performance although he as usual has a powerful presence in his scenes and that's enough for me. The other performer of note is Sessue Hayakawa (Bridge on the River Kwai), who isn't really given a lot to do but does very effectively project his characters menace.
The film's formula is somewhat derivative of other Bogart films and his roles in those films, the most obvious parallels can be found with Casablanca. To begin with both characters are night club owners in exotic locales, both present a cynical front but are heroic and both are separated from the woman they once loved.
Although filmed at least partially in Japan we don't see a lot of the country, we are presented with some interesting Japanese culture which includes a few brief martial arts scenes as well as the Japanese language. This may not seem very usual today, but the film was made very shortly after the war.
The co-operation of the American authorities likely contributed to their favorable portrayal. The portrayal of the Japanese is mixed.