After the Japanese surrender, General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox) is part of General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones)'s delegation. When Washington withdraws protected status from the emperor, they are given 10 days to investigate whether the emperor should be charged with war crimes. Before the war, Fellers had fallen for fellow student Aya Shimada (Eriko Hatsune). However family obligation forces her to return to Japan and he hasn't been back in Japan for 5 years.
I am not usually tie down to history just because a movie says based on a true story. This is slightly different. The history is so unknowable that any definitive version is bound to be questionable. I don't care about Fellers fictional romance with the Japanese girl. It's the murky nature of not knowing what actually happened behind closed doors. This feels like a simple official story of what happened without any voice allowing for a different story. This movie needs a counter character to contradict Fellers. This movie needs a devil's advocate. If they could manufacture a romance for Fellers, they could manufacture a competing investigator for him. General Richter doesn't have the skills or the screen time.
I do like the Japanese culture and the insights into this slice of history. The post war Japan looks compelling. Matthew Fox looks badly worn out. It fits him in the post-war Japan. However I think he needs to look a whole lot better in the pre-war flashbacks. It's a fascinating piece of history. I just think there is a better movie to be made for it.
I am not usually tie down to history just because a movie says based on a true story. This is slightly different. The history is so unknowable that any definitive version is bound to be questionable. I don't care about Fellers fictional romance with the Japanese girl. It's the murky nature of not knowing what actually happened behind closed doors. This feels like a simple official story of what happened without any voice allowing for a different story. This movie needs a counter character to contradict Fellers. This movie needs a devil's advocate. If they could manufacture a romance for Fellers, they could manufacture a competing investigator for him. General Richter doesn't have the skills or the screen time.
I do like the Japanese culture and the insights into this slice of history. The post war Japan looks compelling. Matthew Fox looks badly worn out. It fits him in the post-war Japan. However I think he needs to look a whole lot better in the pre-war flashbacks. It's a fascinating piece of history. I just think there is a better movie to be made for it.