An interesting look at Japan prior to opening to the West. John Wayne as America's first consul to Japan arrives in accordance with agreements resulting from Perry's gunboat diplomacy. He is not welcome. Wayne eventually wins his meeting with the Shogun after bring a cholera epidemic, introduced by an American ship, under control. There follows a colorful procession to the capital bearing gifts for the Shogun, including a bottle of Old Tanglefoot. The meeting with the Shogun, the debates among the Japanese nobles and an assassination during an archery exhibit present an interesting look at the politics of the period. Altogether a rather enjoyable movie and besides how often do you get to see the Duke lose a fight to a guy half his size.
29 Reviews
Totally bizarre casting, but it's still very watchable
planktonrules5 July 2009
In THE BARBARIAN AND THE GEISHA, John Wayne plays Townsend Harris, a real envoy from the United States who was responsible for truly opening up Japan to International relations in the late 1850s. Before him, Commodore Perry basically pushed into Japan with gunboats and forced a treaty upon the Japanese in 1853. Harris, who arrived just a bit later, worked through the details and helped ensure compliance--as many of the Japanese felt no particular inclination to honor the first treaty. All this is true and shown in the film. According to some other sources I found, the romance between Harris and a Japanese Geisha is mostly fiction and this romance is much of the focus of this film (hence, the title).
My first reaction the first time I saw this movie was one of surprise. John Wayne as a diplomat?! When he's being diplomatic in most films, he says please and thank you as he pummels people!!!! So seeing him playing a man who is NOT a man of action and is able to play the diplomatic game seemed very odd indeed. In fact, I can't think of too many actors in 1958 who would have been more unusual for this role. By the way, I've seen photos of Harris and Wayne has practically no resemblance to him at all.
However, despite the story taking a lot of liberties with the truth and the strange casting, the film is still very watchable. The color cinematography is nice, the film shows some nice insights into Japanese customs and culture and the acting isn't bad. All in all, a likable and watchable film despite it's odd casting.
PS--Read through the trivia for this film. You find out a bit more about the real life characters as well as a supposed fight between Wayne and the director (John Huston) where Wayne apparently knocked him out!! Based on what I've read about Huston and the way he got along with actors, this is an incident I tend to believe. And, it's also a nice example of John Wayne "diplomacy".
My first reaction the first time I saw this movie was one of surprise. John Wayne as a diplomat?! When he's being diplomatic in most films, he says please and thank you as he pummels people!!!! So seeing him playing a man who is NOT a man of action and is able to play the diplomatic game seemed very odd indeed. In fact, I can't think of too many actors in 1958 who would have been more unusual for this role. By the way, I've seen photos of Harris and Wayne has practically no resemblance to him at all.
However, despite the story taking a lot of liberties with the truth and the strange casting, the film is still very watchable. The color cinematography is nice, the film shows some nice insights into Japanese customs and culture and the acting isn't bad. All in all, a likable and watchable film despite it's odd casting.
PS--Read through the trivia for this film. You find out a bit more about the real life characters as well as a supposed fight between Wayne and the director (John Huston) where Wayne apparently knocked him out!! Based on what I've read about Huston and the way he got along with actors, this is an incident I tend to believe. And, it's also a nice example of John Wayne "diplomacy".
Recommended Curio
EdgarST22 December 2003
A Hollywood mini-epic that is more about the barbarian's political strategies than the geisha's sensual art. In fact, though John Wayne was the right choice for the role of Townsend Harris, the first US consul general in Japan, he looks awkward as a romantic lead, especially besides sleek Eiko Ando as the geisha. Huston handled the Japanese aspects of the story in a reverent fashion; the film even begs for subtitles, since he let the Japanese perform considerable portions of dialogue in their native language. As Wayne perhaps for different reasons- Huston must have felt attracted to the colonialist side of the story, but although it's known that Fox reshot scenes and re-edited the film, there wasn't much to do with a script concealing the expansionist interest in breaking Japan isolationism behind the Consul General's demagogy. A recommended curio.
Surprising social sensitivity so soon after a horrific war.
kenwest20 January 2002
When you consider that this movie was made only 13 years after the end of the war in the Pacific, with its brutality and carnage, it is quite surprising to see that the "The Barbarian and the Geisha" tries to to present the clash of cultures, 100 years earlier, with such apparent equity and fairness.
While some may see John Wayne as the archetypical posterboy for American jingoism, in fact his character clearly tries to understand the country in which he is trying to establish the consulate, and shows genuine remorse, not arrogance, in noting that in early part of his assignment, all that the Americans had established was a cholera epidemic and the torching of the city to quell it.
While the interracial love story behind the title was somewhat superficial, I thought that the more important aspects of colliding cultures and political shadowboxing was quite interesting and well presented.
While some may see John Wayne as the archetypical posterboy for American jingoism, in fact his character clearly tries to understand the country in which he is trying to establish the consulate, and shows genuine remorse, not arrogance, in noting that in early part of his assignment, all that the Americans had established was a cholera epidemic and the torching of the city to quell it.
While the interracial love story behind the title was somewhat superficial, I thought that the more important aspects of colliding cultures and political shadowboxing was quite interesting and well presented.
The Barbarian And The Geisha (John Huston, 1958) **1/2
Bunuel197631 August 2007
Star and director are not exactly in their element throughout this period piece (set in mid-19th century Japan and based on real events) – though John Wayne gets to brawl with a dwarf/giant combination!; apparently, Huston became fascinated with the country and its culture after viewing Akira Kurosawa’s RASHOMON (1951) and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s GATE OF HELL (1953) – in fact, he obtained the services of the latter as a “script supervisor” on this one!
Still, the film is interesting in its depiction of the clash of traditions – especially involving two countries which, a little over a decade earlier, had been deadly enemies – and, in any case, Japan was a popular venue with Hollywood during this time: witness the two back-to-back Marlon Brando vehicles THE TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON (1956) and SAYONARA (1957). The glossy production values (courtesy of Fox) make the most of the exotic locations, but the plot itself is rather melodramatic – Wayne’s initially hostile reception, an outbreak of cholera, the assassination of a supportive Japanese leader (which threatens to throw the country into Civil War), an attempt on Wayne’s own life and the failed aggressor’s subsequent seppuku (which also terminates Wayne’s subtle romance with the geisha of the title), etc.
Finally, though as I said this is one of Wayne’s most uncharacteristic films (which I had missed out on countless times in the past but was determined to catch now in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Huston’s passing), it’s certainly not worthy of the same level of disdain as his other Asian flick – Dick Powell’s camp classic THE CONQUEROR (1956).
Still, the film is interesting in its depiction of the clash of traditions – especially involving two countries which, a little over a decade earlier, had been deadly enemies – and, in any case, Japan was a popular venue with Hollywood during this time: witness the two back-to-back Marlon Brando vehicles THE TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON (1956) and SAYONARA (1957). The glossy production values (courtesy of Fox) make the most of the exotic locations, but the plot itself is rather melodramatic – Wayne’s initially hostile reception, an outbreak of cholera, the assassination of a supportive Japanese leader (which threatens to throw the country into Civil War), an attempt on Wayne’s own life and the failed aggressor’s subsequent seppuku (which also terminates Wayne’s subtle romance with the geisha of the title), etc.
Finally, though as I said this is one of Wayne’s most uncharacteristic films (which I had missed out on countless times in the past but was determined to catch now in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Huston’s passing), it’s certainly not worthy of the same level of disdain as his other Asian flick – Dick Powell’s camp classic THE CONQUEROR (1956).
Wayne the Peacemaker
JamesHitchcock9 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The hero of this film, Townsend Harris (1804-1878), was a real individual; he was an American merchant and diplomat who in 1856 was appointed the first U.S. Consul-General to Japan. The parts of the film dealing with his diplomatic mission, culminating in the signing of the "Harris Treaty" regulating American-Japanese trade, are generally based in historical fact. The parts dealing with a romance between Harris and the beautiful Japanese geisha Okichi, however, are probably fictitious, although the legend of their love has long persisted in Japan.
As others have pointed out, this was (in some ways at least) an unusual role for John Wayne, although Harris does share some characteristics with the quintessential Wayne hero, such as courage, honour and patriotism. In other respects, however, as a diplomat and man of peace whose only weapon is the power of persuasion he is very different to the men of action- cowboys, gunfighters, soldiers, etc.- portrayed by Wayne in most of his other movies.
The film contains two main strands. One deals with the love-story of Harris and Okichi. The other deals with the conflict between the pro- Western Japanese modernisers, who welcome Harris's mission, and the conservative, traditionalist forces who resent it. Harris is at first based not in Edo (as Tokyo was then known) but in the small coastal town of Shimoda, some sixty miles away, and the local governor Lord Tamura (a conservative sympathiser) refuses to recognise his diplomatic status.
The plot of course has a number of similarities with that of "Madame Butterfly", which also concerns a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an older American man. "The Barbarian and the Geisha", however, explores the theme of cultural differences much more deeply than does Puccini's opera, which is essentially the story of a woman betrayed by a faithless lover. The forces which doom the relationship between Harris and Okichi are much more fundamental, and are rooted in irreconcilable differences between their two nations' concepts of morality and honour.
Some have expressed surprise that a film celebrating the establishment of peaceful American-Japanese relations was made only thirteen years after the end of World War II, but this becomes less surprising when one considers that by 1958 Japan was a key US ally in the Cold War. Moreover, the view of the Japanese in this film is not altogether positive. The events of 1853, when Japan was forced to open its doors to the West by Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet under threat of force, are justified by allegations that the Japanese had been guilty of beheading shipwrecked foreign sailors and refusing to allow American vessels to enter their ports, even to take on emergency supplies of food and water. Arguments that it was for Japan itself, as an independent sovereign state, to determine its own trade policy with the rest of the world are largely glossed over or presented as the doctrines of a self-interested reactionary faction. Harris and the Japanese progressives are the good guys and the Japanese conservatives the bad guys, something shown when they make a treacherous attempt to murder Harris.
This was John Wayne's only collaboration with director John Huston, and apparently they did not get on with one another. Yet Wayne does enough here, both as diplomat and as lover, to suggest that he had a greater range as an actor than he is normally given credit for. Eiko Ando as Okichi makes a luminously beautiful heroine. This is one film where all the Japanese characters are played by Japanese actors, something which was by no means always the rule in the fifties, "Love is a Many Splendid Thing" and "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" being two examples from the period where oriental characters were played by white actors.
Huston himself was dissatisfied with the film because it was heavily re- edited by the studio and he felt that it did not reflect his vision. As far as I am aware there is no "director's cut" so we do not know what Huston's vision would have looked like had it been realised. The film we actually have, however, is far from being a bad one. It has its weaknesses; the pace tends to sag at times, especially during the first half. Nevertheless, it is visually attractive, well acted and throws an interesting light on the history of American-Japanese relations. It is an unusual film to have come out of the Hollywood of the fifties, made all the more unexpected by Huston's use of a star normally associated with films of a very different sort. 7/10
As others have pointed out, this was (in some ways at least) an unusual role for John Wayne, although Harris does share some characteristics with the quintessential Wayne hero, such as courage, honour and patriotism. In other respects, however, as a diplomat and man of peace whose only weapon is the power of persuasion he is very different to the men of action- cowboys, gunfighters, soldiers, etc.- portrayed by Wayne in most of his other movies.
The film contains two main strands. One deals with the love-story of Harris and Okichi. The other deals with the conflict between the pro- Western Japanese modernisers, who welcome Harris's mission, and the conservative, traditionalist forces who resent it. Harris is at first based not in Edo (as Tokyo was then known) but in the small coastal town of Shimoda, some sixty miles away, and the local governor Lord Tamura (a conservative sympathiser) refuses to recognise his diplomatic status.
The plot of course has a number of similarities with that of "Madame Butterfly", which also concerns a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an older American man. "The Barbarian and the Geisha", however, explores the theme of cultural differences much more deeply than does Puccini's opera, which is essentially the story of a woman betrayed by a faithless lover. The forces which doom the relationship between Harris and Okichi are much more fundamental, and are rooted in irreconcilable differences between their two nations' concepts of morality and honour.
Some have expressed surprise that a film celebrating the establishment of peaceful American-Japanese relations was made only thirteen years after the end of World War II, but this becomes less surprising when one considers that by 1958 Japan was a key US ally in the Cold War. Moreover, the view of the Japanese in this film is not altogether positive. The events of 1853, when Japan was forced to open its doors to the West by Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet under threat of force, are justified by allegations that the Japanese had been guilty of beheading shipwrecked foreign sailors and refusing to allow American vessels to enter their ports, even to take on emergency supplies of food and water. Arguments that it was for Japan itself, as an independent sovereign state, to determine its own trade policy with the rest of the world are largely glossed over or presented as the doctrines of a self-interested reactionary faction. Harris and the Japanese progressives are the good guys and the Japanese conservatives the bad guys, something shown when they make a treacherous attempt to murder Harris.
This was John Wayne's only collaboration with director John Huston, and apparently they did not get on with one another. Yet Wayne does enough here, both as diplomat and as lover, to suggest that he had a greater range as an actor than he is normally given credit for. Eiko Ando as Okichi makes a luminously beautiful heroine. This is one film where all the Japanese characters are played by Japanese actors, something which was by no means always the rule in the fifties, "Love is a Many Splendid Thing" and "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" being two examples from the period where oriental characters were played by white actors.
Huston himself was dissatisfied with the film because it was heavily re- edited by the studio and he felt that it did not reflect his vision. As far as I am aware there is no "director's cut" so we do not know what Huston's vision would have looked like had it been realised. The film we actually have, however, is far from being a bad one. It has its weaknesses; the pace tends to sag at times, especially during the first half. Nevertheless, it is visually attractive, well acted and throws an interesting light on the history of American-Japanese relations. It is an unusual film to have come out of the Hollywood of the fifties, made all the more unexpected by Huston's use of a star normally associated with films of a very different sort. 7/10
A Dud for the Duke
bkoganbing24 November 2004
If you were to make a real film about Townsend Harris, the first American diplomat in Japan, the guy you would have cast in the role was Clifton Webb. The real Harris was an aesthete like Webb's persona on screen, never married, might have been gay as Webb was. Now that would have been an interesting film.
But done the way John Huston did it, with Harris as a romantic figure, Tyrone Power would have been perfect casting. I have a gut feeling that since 20th Century Fox produced this, the property might have been at one time meant for Power. Wayne looked so awkward and ridiculous mouthing those romantic lines that Ty Power could have done in his sleep.
John Huston said that in casting John Wayne he was trying to show a clash of cultures, Tokugawa Japan being opened to the west by the young vibrant, expanding America and Huston saw Wayne as the personification of 19th century America. Well it didn't work. Supposedly both men developed a hearty dislike of the other.
I will say this though, it's a spectacularly photographed film and it does show quite accurately the Japan that Townsend Harris was dealing with.
But it was still one of the big duds for the Duke's career.
But done the way John Huston did it, with Harris as a romantic figure, Tyrone Power would have been perfect casting. I have a gut feeling that since 20th Century Fox produced this, the property might have been at one time meant for Power. Wayne looked so awkward and ridiculous mouthing those romantic lines that Ty Power could have done in his sleep.
John Huston said that in casting John Wayne he was trying to show a clash of cultures, Tokugawa Japan being opened to the west by the young vibrant, expanding America and Huston saw Wayne as the personification of 19th century America. Well it didn't work. Supposedly both men developed a hearty dislike of the other.
I will say this though, it's a spectacularly photographed film and it does show quite accurately the Japan that Townsend Harris was dealing with.
But it was still one of the big duds for the Duke's career.
Good intentions do not necessarily a good movie make!
JohnHowardReid7 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
SYNOPSIS: For 200 years, Japan had been "the forbidden empire," turning away all foreigners, and abusing (and even killing) shipwrecked mariners. But in August, 1856, an American Navy frigate put into the tiny seaport of Shimoda. A longboat slowly made its way towards shore, carrying Townsend Harris (the first U.S. ambassador to Japan), his interpreter, Henry Heusken, and three Chinese servants. The city officials order Harris off, but he ignores the order and takes up residence in a ruined temple. The Japanese refuse to sell him food and keep his party under constant observation.
NOTES: Fox's 114th CinemaScope movie, and the first American film to be photographed in its entirety (both indoors and outdoors) in Japan Only film appearance of Eiki Ando Although Fox reported a loss of only $2 million on a negative cost of $3.5 million, it's hard to believe that worldwide rentals returned as much as $2.5 million (allowing an extra million to cover print, advertising and distribution expenses). No doubt John Wayne's solid allure at the domestic box-office helped no end.
COMMENT: Understandably, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" was one of the least popular of the big-budget CinemaScope movies. A preachy, reach-me-down tone is set right from the beginning, where a patronizing, off-camera commentary explains both the action and Japanese dialogue for us. At least we are spared the verbal assault of Japanese peasants speaking pidgin English, but why are there no sub-titles?
As for Big John himself, he is not so much miscast as unbelievable. I feel he could have made a reasonably good fist of the role, despite the handicap of stilted and ridiculous dialogue, but he doesn't even try. What's worse, his fans are going to be mighty disappointed to find there's so little action in the picture. True, the script does occasionally ring in a bit of humor, but humor without action for the true Wayne devotee is like mustard without meat.
Although often visually attractive, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" misses the pictorial richness of contemporary Japanese period films like "Gate of Hell". In fact, by Huston's high standards, the direction and camera-work could be described as comparatively unimaginative, even stodgy. You can see that a lot of money was spent. It's right up there on the screen. But the result— ponderous, slow-moving, heavy-handed, patronizingly juvenile movie will please neither Wayne's fervent admirers nor the general, entertainment-seeking picturegoer.
NOTES: Fox's 114th CinemaScope movie, and the first American film to be photographed in its entirety (both indoors and outdoors) in Japan Only film appearance of Eiki Ando Although Fox reported a loss of only $2 million on a negative cost of $3.5 million, it's hard to believe that worldwide rentals returned as much as $2.5 million (allowing an extra million to cover print, advertising and distribution expenses). No doubt John Wayne's solid allure at the domestic box-office helped no end.
COMMENT: Understandably, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" was one of the least popular of the big-budget CinemaScope movies. A preachy, reach-me-down tone is set right from the beginning, where a patronizing, off-camera commentary explains both the action and Japanese dialogue for us. At least we are spared the verbal assault of Japanese peasants speaking pidgin English, but why are there no sub-titles?
As for Big John himself, he is not so much miscast as unbelievable. I feel he could have made a reasonably good fist of the role, despite the handicap of stilted and ridiculous dialogue, but he doesn't even try. What's worse, his fans are going to be mighty disappointed to find there's so little action in the picture. True, the script does occasionally ring in a bit of humor, but humor without action for the true Wayne devotee is like mustard without meat.
Although often visually attractive, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" misses the pictorial richness of contemporary Japanese period films like "Gate of Hell". In fact, by Huston's high standards, the direction and camera-work could be described as comparatively unimaginative, even stodgy. You can see that a lot of money was spent. It's right up there on the screen. But the result— ponderous, slow-moving, heavy-handed, patronizingly juvenile movie will please neither Wayne's fervent admirers nor the general, entertainment-seeking picturegoer.
Could have been SOOOO much better.
tles73 March 2019
The director John Huston disowned the movie after both John Wayne and the studio mangled and reshot anything that had to do with the director's vision. John Wayne is miscast in this rather pedestrian and inaccurate depiction of history. Compared to any of the on-location Asian films of the time....Sayonara, Teahouse of the August Moon, the House of Bamboo, Inn of the Sixth Happiness...this is by far the worst. The performances were bland with an out of place Wayne making a very dryly scripted romance even more boring.. They could have had more suspense and at least follow a true historical ending.
Based on facts with John Wayne as intrepid American Ambassador in Japan
ma-cortes31 August 2011
The picture develops the true tale of Townsend Harris (John Wayne) who during the nineteenth century is sent -along with his helper (Sam Jaffe)- by President Pierce to Japan to serve as the first American Consul-General to that nation . Towsend gets enormous hostility to foreigners , as well as dangers and risks . There finds romance with a gorgeous geisha (Eiko Ando) . Meanwhile he confronts the governor , Baron Tamura (Shomamura ), but finally he contacts in Edo with the Shogun . Then the geisha beauty is sent to destroy the barbarian from the west .
This costumer picture is based on historic events . Japan was dominated for a dynasty occupied by the Togugawa family from century XVI until 1868 and characterized by ruling ¨ Daimios ¨ , confronting occidental people and shunning the opening imposed by Admiral Perry in 1863 ; he was the first foreigner in Japan who undergoes a culture shock . Being dead emperor Komei , succeeded in 1867 , Mutsu Hito , one time crowned as emperor Meiji , he abolished the Shogun , ( happenings developed in various films as ¨ Shogun ¨ with Richard Chamberlain and ¨The last Samurai¨ with Tom Cruise ). Matsu Hito carried out various changes, as a liberal cabinet , creating a Duma or Parliament and following actual models and modern spirit . Anti-reforms riots to return old values , traditional way of life and code Bushido were realized by the Samurais a type of medieval knight for preventing of occidental life style .
John Wayne becomes the first Ambassador from the Western world is this oriental adventure . The film deals with conflicts between the radical conservatism and modernism ; upon relation of the West and East World . Besides , a sweeping, complex human drama with all the ingredients : betrayal , romance , inter-racial love story, , emotions and is pretty interesting . Stunning images illuminate the full-blown feats of Towsend Harris under impressive sets created by Lyle Wheeler and Walter Scott . Glimmer and colorfully filmed by cameraman Charles G Clarke shot in locations as 20th Century Fox Studios, Los Angeles, California,(studio) ,Eiga Film Studios,Tokyo, and Kawana ,and Kyoto , Japan .Evocative and appropriate score by Hugo Friedhofer . Panned by the critics , the movie was a flop at box office , receiving awful reviews , considering Wayne is horribly miscast and ¨Barbarian and Geisha¨ resulted to be one of the worst of his bad films . However , nowadays is best deemed . Motion picture produced and released by Twenty Century Fox- Darryl F Zanuck- is regularly directed by John Huston . The movie hasn't the thematic unity of 'African's Queen', ' Asphalt jungle' , ' Key Largo' , ' Maltese Falcon' or ' The treasure of Sierra Madre' the John Huston's best and shares his failures to 'Phobia' , ' the Bible' or 'Kremlin letter' . Rating : 5,5 , acceptable and passable .
This costumer picture is based on historic events . Japan was dominated for a dynasty occupied by the Togugawa family from century XVI until 1868 and characterized by ruling ¨ Daimios ¨ , confronting occidental people and shunning the opening imposed by Admiral Perry in 1863 ; he was the first foreigner in Japan who undergoes a culture shock . Being dead emperor Komei , succeeded in 1867 , Mutsu Hito , one time crowned as emperor Meiji , he abolished the Shogun , ( happenings developed in various films as ¨ Shogun ¨ with Richard Chamberlain and ¨The last Samurai¨ with Tom Cruise ). Matsu Hito carried out various changes, as a liberal cabinet , creating a Duma or Parliament and following actual models and modern spirit . Anti-reforms riots to return old values , traditional way of life and code Bushido were realized by the Samurais a type of medieval knight for preventing of occidental life style .
John Wayne becomes the first Ambassador from the Western world is this oriental adventure . The film deals with conflicts between the radical conservatism and modernism ; upon relation of the West and East World . Besides , a sweeping, complex human drama with all the ingredients : betrayal , romance , inter-racial love story, , emotions and is pretty interesting . Stunning images illuminate the full-blown feats of Towsend Harris under impressive sets created by Lyle Wheeler and Walter Scott . Glimmer and colorfully filmed by cameraman Charles G Clarke shot in locations as 20th Century Fox Studios, Los Angeles, California,(studio) ,Eiga Film Studios,Tokyo, and Kawana ,and Kyoto , Japan .Evocative and appropriate score by Hugo Friedhofer . Panned by the critics , the movie was a flop at box office , receiving awful reviews , considering Wayne is horribly miscast and ¨Barbarian and Geisha¨ resulted to be one of the worst of his bad films . However , nowadays is best deemed . Motion picture produced and released by Twenty Century Fox- Darryl F Zanuck- is regularly directed by John Huston . The movie hasn't the thematic unity of 'African's Queen', ' Asphalt jungle' , ' Key Largo' , ' Maltese Falcon' or ' The treasure of Sierra Madre' the John Huston's best and shares his failures to 'Phobia' , ' the Bible' or 'Kremlin letter' . Rating : 5,5 , acceptable and passable .
Next Time Send Gregory Peck
slokes18 January 2017
There's a lot of reason to like "The Barbarian And The Geisha," too bad so little of that shows up on screen. It's a classic case of how good intentions when married to fuzzy execution yield disappointing results.
In 1856, following the opening of Japan to an American naval force, newly-appointed consul general Townsend Harris (John Wayne) shows up at the fishing community of Shimoda to ratify an agreement. He is met with resistance, much of it from a regional governor, Tamura (So Yamamura), who reminds Harris it takes two to make a treaty. Harris insists, and Tamura responds with some hospitality, including a music-making geisha named Okichi (Eiko Ando) who is sent to Harris to make him more comfortable.
"The governor wants to know about us, and we want to know about Japan," Harris tells his aide Henry (Sam Jaffe) in accepting the young lovely into his home.
Shot on location in glorious CinemaScope, "The Barbarian And The Geisha" is the kind of movie I want to like. It takes an even-handed approach at celebrating a century of Japanese-American relations centering on the idea of being a "good neighbor." Another reviewer here criticizes Wayne for playing a "cowboy;" that's not the issue at all.
In fact, a big part of the problem is Wayne's gentleness. He gets into a couple of fan-service fistfights, but for the most part speaks softly and makes his point with wisdom, not force. His problem is he's not the actor for such a role, and struggles to define a character with a lot of earnest diplomat-speak that suits him as poorly as his period trousers.
Another reviewer suggests Clifton Webb would have been a better casting choice. How about Gregory Peck? He was so stiff and elegant, he would have been perfect in this. I can see him arching that eyebrow as he uttered such dry lines as: "No one stays as he was nor any country."
Director John Huston doesn't seem to know what kind of film he's making, a romance or a history, so he throws together a historical romance that sells both sides short. The Okichi relationship is set up as crucial; hers is the character we hear in the frequent narration. Alas, there is no chemistry between the leads, just nods and smiles. Ando was a newcomer in her only screen role, and she's charming enough, but what exactly is the point of Okichi in this story is as hard to tell by watching the film as it is from reading the history.
Not that I found myself caring too much. The film starts and ends with a scene of grand spectacle, and pretty much that's Huston's agenda, the kind of spectacle meant as show and divorced from story. There's some drama when an American ship's arrival leads to a cholera epidemic, but just as that seems to spell the end of Harris's mission, it is revealed the Japanese appreciated his efforts in stopping the epidemic. Thus is conflict resolved, with another long pageant to celebrate same.
The only thing I enjoyed about this movie was So Yamamura, who gets my 1958 Doe Avedon award for best performance in a bad film. Though his character makes no more sense than anyone else's, he plays his part with a humor and grace surprising for what amounts to the token heavy. "I have sympathy for a man alone in a strange country," he tells Harris in good English, showing he may be a stick but far from ignorant about it. Yamamura subtly signals his conflict between respecting Harris and fearing what he represents, and that tension charges every scene he's in.
That charge is sorely needed, for this film is otherwise as inert as sushi. Noble intentions and a good cause are just not enough to make this worth a view.
In 1856, following the opening of Japan to an American naval force, newly-appointed consul general Townsend Harris (John Wayne) shows up at the fishing community of Shimoda to ratify an agreement. He is met with resistance, much of it from a regional governor, Tamura (So Yamamura), who reminds Harris it takes two to make a treaty. Harris insists, and Tamura responds with some hospitality, including a music-making geisha named Okichi (Eiko Ando) who is sent to Harris to make him more comfortable.
"The governor wants to know about us, and we want to know about Japan," Harris tells his aide Henry (Sam Jaffe) in accepting the young lovely into his home.
Shot on location in glorious CinemaScope, "The Barbarian And The Geisha" is the kind of movie I want to like. It takes an even-handed approach at celebrating a century of Japanese-American relations centering on the idea of being a "good neighbor." Another reviewer here criticizes Wayne for playing a "cowboy;" that's not the issue at all.
In fact, a big part of the problem is Wayne's gentleness. He gets into a couple of fan-service fistfights, but for the most part speaks softly and makes his point with wisdom, not force. His problem is he's not the actor for such a role, and struggles to define a character with a lot of earnest diplomat-speak that suits him as poorly as his period trousers.
Another reviewer suggests Clifton Webb would have been a better casting choice. How about Gregory Peck? He was so stiff and elegant, he would have been perfect in this. I can see him arching that eyebrow as he uttered such dry lines as: "No one stays as he was nor any country."
Director John Huston doesn't seem to know what kind of film he's making, a romance or a history, so he throws together a historical romance that sells both sides short. The Okichi relationship is set up as crucial; hers is the character we hear in the frequent narration. Alas, there is no chemistry between the leads, just nods and smiles. Ando was a newcomer in her only screen role, and she's charming enough, but what exactly is the point of Okichi in this story is as hard to tell by watching the film as it is from reading the history.
Not that I found myself caring too much. The film starts and ends with a scene of grand spectacle, and pretty much that's Huston's agenda, the kind of spectacle meant as show and divorced from story. There's some drama when an American ship's arrival leads to a cholera epidemic, but just as that seems to spell the end of Harris's mission, it is revealed the Japanese appreciated his efforts in stopping the epidemic. Thus is conflict resolved, with another long pageant to celebrate same.
The only thing I enjoyed about this movie was So Yamamura, who gets my 1958 Doe Avedon award for best performance in a bad film. Though his character makes no more sense than anyone else's, he plays his part with a humor and grace surprising for what amounts to the token heavy. "I have sympathy for a man alone in a strange country," he tells Harris in good English, showing he may be a stick but far from ignorant about it. Yamamura subtly signals his conflict between respecting Harris and fearing what he represents, and that tension charges every scene he's in.
That charge is sorely needed, for this film is otherwise as inert as sushi. Noble intentions and a good cause are just not enough to make this worth a view.
Quiet excellence
imprator16 May 2007
This is very much not the sort of movie for which John Wayne is known. He plays a diplomat, a man who gets things done through words and persuasion rather than physical action. The film moves with a quiet realism through its superficially unexciting story.
For the open-minded, the patient and the thoughtful, this movie is a rich depiction of an intriguing part of history.
There are two intertwining stories. The big story is of internalised, isolationist Japan and externalised, expansionist America clashing when their interests conflict. The small, human, story is of an outsider barbarian (Wayne) and a civilised Geisha's initial hostility and dislike turning to mutual respect and love. The human story is a reflection of the greater story of the two nations.
The movie is very well done and all actors play their roles well. The two lead roles are performed to perfection. John Wayne is excellent as Townsend Harris, striking exactly the right blend of force and negotiation in his dealings with the Japanese. Eiko Ando is likewise excellent as the Geisha of the title, charming and delightful. The interaction between her character and John Wayne's is particularly well portrayed. This is exactly how these two individuals (as they are depicted in the film) would have behaved.
The script is very well written. It lacks all pomposity. and is a realistic depiction of the manner in which the depicted events may have occurred. The characters are real people, not self-consciously "great" figures from history. Furthermore, the clash of cultures and interests is portrayed with great skill and subtlety. Indeed, the clash of a traditionalist, and traditionally powerful, isolationist Japan and a rising, newly powerful nation from across the ocean is summarised very well in one exchange between John Wayne and the local Japanese baron. Wayne complains that shipwrecked sailors are beheaded if they land in Japan, and that passing ships cannot even put into port for water. The Baron responds that Japan just wants to be left alone. Wayne's character replies that Japan is at an increasingly important crossroads of international shipping, and that if things continue as before the nation will be regarded as nothing more than a band of brigands infesting an important roadway. A very real summary of the way in which the two countries each saw themselves as being in the right, and saw the other as being in the wrong. The resultant clash between two self-righteous peoples with conflicting interests has its reflections throughout history, a continuing theme that echoes into the present and on into the future.
Cinematography and the depiction of mid-nineteenth century Japan, before the accelerated growth towards industrialisation that was to follow later in the century, is excellent. A visual treat, and an enlightening insight into Japan's ancient civilisation.
I highly recommend anyone, whether a John Wayne fan or not, to watch this film if you get the chance. Just be aware that it isn't an action film. It is a representation of an interesting place and time in history, and a slow-boiling love story which (much to their surprise) comes to dominate the personal lives of the two main characters. Watch this film on its merits, without preconceptions, allow yourself to be immersed in its story, and you will thoroughly enjoy it.
All in all, an excellent film.
For the open-minded, the patient and the thoughtful, this movie is a rich depiction of an intriguing part of history.
There are two intertwining stories. The big story is of internalised, isolationist Japan and externalised, expansionist America clashing when their interests conflict. The small, human, story is of an outsider barbarian (Wayne) and a civilised Geisha's initial hostility and dislike turning to mutual respect and love. The human story is a reflection of the greater story of the two nations.
The movie is very well done and all actors play their roles well. The two lead roles are performed to perfection. John Wayne is excellent as Townsend Harris, striking exactly the right blend of force and negotiation in his dealings with the Japanese. Eiko Ando is likewise excellent as the Geisha of the title, charming and delightful. The interaction between her character and John Wayne's is particularly well portrayed. This is exactly how these two individuals (as they are depicted in the film) would have behaved.
The script is very well written. It lacks all pomposity. and is a realistic depiction of the manner in which the depicted events may have occurred. The characters are real people, not self-consciously "great" figures from history. Furthermore, the clash of cultures and interests is portrayed with great skill and subtlety. Indeed, the clash of a traditionalist, and traditionally powerful, isolationist Japan and a rising, newly powerful nation from across the ocean is summarised very well in one exchange between John Wayne and the local Japanese baron. Wayne complains that shipwrecked sailors are beheaded if they land in Japan, and that passing ships cannot even put into port for water. The Baron responds that Japan just wants to be left alone. Wayne's character replies that Japan is at an increasingly important crossroads of international shipping, and that if things continue as before the nation will be regarded as nothing more than a band of brigands infesting an important roadway. A very real summary of the way in which the two countries each saw themselves as being in the right, and saw the other as being in the wrong. The resultant clash between two self-righteous peoples with conflicting interests has its reflections throughout history, a continuing theme that echoes into the present and on into the future.
Cinematography and the depiction of mid-nineteenth century Japan, before the accelerated growth towards industrialisation that was to follow later in the century, is excellent. A visual treat, and an enlightening insight into Japan's ancient civilisation.
I highly recommend anyone, whether a John Wayne fan or not, to watch this film if you get the chance. Just be aware that it isn't an action film. It is a representation of an interesting place and time in history, and a slow-boiling love story which (much to their surprise) comes to dominate the personal lives of the two main characters. Watch this film on its merits, without preconceptions, allow yourself to be immersed in its story, and you will thoroughly enjoy it.
All in all, an excellent film.
The Duke takes on John Houston
Sycotron9 June 2000
Not an action packed John Wayne adventure but enjoyable for it's own merits. Those merits include an interesting look at Japan circa 1856 and how the arrival of non-Japanese were looked on with fear and loathing.
There are some odd directorial dead spots such as when Wayne as Townsend Harris is told he cannot fly the American flag. The Duke agrees to take it down but gives a speech stating that he will fly the flag at certain times. The scene trails off somewhat anti-climactically despite seemingly leading up to a dramatic confrontation.
On the whole I found the film entertaining and worth viewing.
There are some odd directorial dead spots such as when Wayne as Townsend Harris is told he cannot fly the American flag. The Duke agrees to take it down but gives a speech stating that he will fly the flag at certain times. The scene trails off somewhat anti-climactically despite seemingly leading up to a dramatic confrontation.
On the whole I found the film entertaining and worth viewing.
John Wayne Goes to Japan
zardoz-1330 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
John Wayne and John Houston didn't see eye to eye on "The Barbarian and the Geisha," and Wayne had the last word on this East meets West saga. After everything that Huston had done to make the film work, Wayne undid it during post-production. The big question is why did the two men who ultimately wound up hating each other would such a historical period piece. Wayne is miscast as America's first consul to Japan, and he looks entirely out of place in this dull and loquacious saga. If you're interested in history, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" might be your cup of tea. This is one movie that most Wayne fans can live their entire lives and never see and never miss anything. Inferior from start to finish.
Interesting, if not entirely successful
TheLittleSongbird27 February 2011
The Barbarian and the Geisha was an interesting film. It isn't entirely successful, but I can say that both star John Wayne and director John Huston have done much worse.
The Barbarian and the Geisha does have its problems. The story is occasionally a little melodramatic, with the interracial love story not developed as well as it could have been, while the film could have done at a much tighter pace. The script also has its good points, but also some stilted and overly pompous moments too, while John Wayne is a little out-of-place and awkward in the lead. However, the film is spectacularly photographed, has a good score and has a very interesting subject matter that is presented well. The film is well-directed by Huston and Eiko Ando is beguiling and charming.
Overall, a decent film, could have been better but it wasn't as bad as I was led to believe. 6/10 Bethany Cox
The Barbarian and the Geisha does have its problems. The story is occasionally a little melodramatic, with the interracial love story not developed as well as it could have been, while the film could have done at a much tighter pace. The script also has its good points, but also some stilted and overly pompous moments too, while John Wayne is a little out-of-place and awkward in the lead. However, the film is spectacularly photographed, has a good score and has a very interesting subject matter that is presented well. The film is well-directed by Huston and Eiko Ando is beguiling and charming.
Overall, a decent film, could have been better but it wasn't as bad as I was led to believe. 6/10 Bethany Cox
The Barbarian And The Geisha
johnson-mia26 November 2008
In the 1850's Townsend Harris was dispatched by President Pierce to Japan to establish open trade with Japan. While there, he forms a relationship with a beautiful young geisha named Okichi. The Barbarian And The Geisha, although perhaps not completely accurate to true life of the events it depicts does give us a beautiful look into the the look and feel of Japan of the mid-1800's. Shot entirely in Japan, the scenery is stunning, and the costumes, especially those of the Geisha are truly beautiful. We are invited to watch Geisha in performance; dancing, singing, and entertaining. One scene features a large group of Geisha playing the koto, a stringed instrument central in Japanese music and culture, and the sound is transporting to the "mysterious Orient". Japanese language is heard throughout the movie, kudos to Huston there, and the characters communicate largely through a translator which also puts us more into the place of Harris' experience in Japan. This element mixed with a limited number of bilingual Japanese characters avoids the lameness of just having everyone speak English for the sake of the American Audience or having to use subtitles at all. Although you won't find yourself on the edge of your seat, or swept by the moving story or a dramatic romance with this film, it covers the subject matter with a commendable ease and the visual elements are enough within themselves to ride out the entire picture.
Patience and pageantry in a forbidden empire
shakercoola27 November 2019
An American romantic drama; A story set in 1856 about the first American Consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, who lands in Japan aiming to overcome opposition from the local authorities to be granted an audience with Japan's military dictator, the Shogun. Along the way he falls in love with a geisha who teaches him how to adapt to her country's customs.
This biographical story set during the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate, is about patience and determination in holding out for a worthy cause. It makes for a static story, and poorly paced, but the settings, costumes and colour photography provide shots of exquisite composition, appeal to the senses and very watchable distraction. Wayne provides ballast and Eiko Ando is enchanting as the romantic interest. There are some historical inaccuracies with the story, and it descends to melodrama eventually, but overall it has surface appeal to carry its relatively short running time.
Two hard drinkers hit the sake!
gregcouture27 April 2003
John Huston and John Wayne - an odd creative pairing but, legendary drinkers that they once were, one suspects they got along famously when cocktail hour arrived. When I saw this one when it was released, it looked great on the CinemaScope/DeLuxe Color screen, with a magnetic stereophonic sound track allowing the prolific Hugo Friedhofer to fill the theater with music that enhanced the exotic locales and the (presumably) authentic glimpses of Japan during the period in which this story is set. But Wayne seems uncomfortable, to say the least, in this role, and Huston, saddled with what seems like a pastiche of a script (three writers are uncredited, for instance) was probably only mildly amused to find himself trying to make sense of this muddle. Charles G. Clarke's cinematography, along with many of the other 20th-Century Fox stalwarts fulfilling their usual assignments, is thoroughly professional. Eiko Ando, selected to play opposite Wayne, appears to have been awarded the role because she's an Amazon, looking twice the size of a typical female of Japanese descent! If you cannot see this in a format that approximates its widescreen ratio, I'd suggest you give it a respectful pass.
John Wayne sets himself up for a fall . . .
oscaralbert10 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
. . . by bragging to the Shogunate Supreme Council of Japan in 1857 that there are men in America who are willing to die to end the Satanic Evil of Racist Slavery there. Of course, a few years later the words of Wayne's "Townsend Harris" character would be borne out in spades by the slaughter of more than 100,000 brave Northern Yankee Saints. Perversely enough, as "Il Duce" was mouthing the noble sentiments of Harris, Wayne was in the midst of hatching a Real Life plot to pump new life into one of History's most infamous Racist Devils by portraying Alamo Terrorist Davy Crockett, who personally murdered dozens of valiant Mexican Freedom Fighters in his eventually successful Genocidal Campaign to Re-enslave the Free Black People of Mexico's Texas Province for TWO MORE GENERATIONS!! Some accuse Hollywood starlets of being prostitutes simply because they might get paid to perform an explicit on-screen BJ upon their director as did Chloe Sevigney in BROWN BUNNY, but Mr. Wayne had no such economic need to hypocritically deviate from his own version of BOYS DON'T CRY (that is, THE BARBARIAN AND THE GEISHA) to the Sevigney-like job he did a few years later on Uncle Sam in THE ALAMO. The love of money may be the root of all Evil, but no amount of cash could bring GEISHA Okishi to stick with a mendacious phony like Wayne!
Even John Huston can make turkeys..
dbdumonteil15 August 2003
There are often badly-matched couples (in the general sense of the term) -in Huston's movies :"African Queen" "Heaven knows Mister Allison" "roots of Heaven" "Misfits" ..."The Barbarian and the geisha" (check the title) is another good example,so to speak.It seems that Japanese stuff was trendy at the time as such works as "Sayonara" " the world of Suzie Wong" and "the teahouse of the August moon" bear witness. Huston's effort might be the worst of this rather bad lot(with the exception of "Susie " maybe).John Wayne perfectly fits in Ford's world ,in Huston's he's like a bull in a china shop.His Japanese partner is totally bland.Even the dramatic scenes (cholera epidemic) do not save the movie from absolute boredom.
Only those utterly enamoured of Huston's every work need to choose this ,among all his other great movies around.
Only those utterly enamoured of Huston's every work need to choose this ,among all his other great movies around.
Unfortunate title, but a gripping drama.
mark.waltz22 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The presence of John Wayne as the leading man in this film gives a wrong impression from the start. This is not your typical John Wayne performance nor character. It isn't the fact that this isn't a western. This isn't an action picture in any manner but a touching drama of two countries with completely different cultures coming together how to start a relationship 50 years before they would become enemies through a world war.
The Pacific overtures that are made here come from American representative Townsend Harris who wants a peaceful resolution to issues involving shipwrecked sailors trying to get past Japan who have reportedly been beheaded. The Shogun of Japan is a ruthless man who wants no part of a treaty, and rejects Wayne from the moment he steps into the country. But the gentleness of Harris makes an impact on other Japanese statesmen who agree to a treaty in spite of the men behind the power. In the process, Wayne falls in love with a gentle geisha (the breathtakingly sweet Eiko Ando) who basically is given to him and is swept away by his nobility. This is Wayne in a surprisingly unique performance, and Ando (who provides narration for the film) is a charming leading lady. There's also a very wise performance by Sam Jaffe as Wayne's associate who is a calming force in his knowledge of the Japanese language.
The stunning photography of Japan prior to opening itself up to the world is gorgeous to look at, and this flows by with a gentle if often angry pace. it is obvious that this treaty does not come without a price, and Wayne pays for it almost with his life. Views of old Japanese customs, 10 times older than America, show them as a proud people steeped in tradition, and Wayne doesn't judge them for that. it's a far cry better than the two recent films that Wayne had done with Asian themes, "Blood Alley" and the disasterous "The Conqueror". Of course the direction of John Huston has a lot to do with this film's being memorable, and it comes off as more than just a history lesson.
The Pacific overtures that are made here come from American representative Townsend Harris who wants a peaceful resolution to issues involving shipwrecked sailors trying to get past Japan who have reportedly been beheaded. The Shogun of Japan is a ruthless man who wants no part of a treaty, and rejects Wayne from the moment he steps into the country. But the gentleness of Harris makes an impact on other Japanese statesmen who agree to a treaty in spite of the men behind the power. In the process, Wayne falls in love with a gentle geisha (the breathtakingly sweet Eiko Ando) who basically is given to him and is swept away by his nobility. This is Wayne in a surprisingly unique performance, and Ando (who provides narration for the film) is a charming leading lady. There's also a very wise performance by Sam Jaffe as Wayne's associate who is a calming force in his knowledge of the Japanese language.
The stunning photography of Japan prior to opening itself up to the world is gorgeous to look at, and this flows by with a gentle if often angry pace. it is obvious that this treaty does not come without a price, and Wayne pays for it almost with his life. Views of old Japanese customs, 10 times older than America, show them as a proud people steeped in tradition, and Wayne doesn't judge them for that. it's a far cry better than the two recent films that Wayne had done with Asian themes, "Blood Alley" and the disasterous "The Conqueror". Of course the direction of John Huston has a lot to do with this film's being memorable, and it comes off as more than just a history lesson.
Dreadful jingoism
rps-230 March 2001
If I had realized John Wayne was in this movie, I would not have watched it. It's demeaning to the Japanese, unfortunate for Hollywood and embarrassing to any thinking person. But then, most John Wayne movies are like that. Hollywood in the fifties still believed that everybody in the world loved Americans when the truth was (and still is) somewhat different. The movie deals with the nineteenth century isolationism of Japan. Maybe it's Hollywood that should be isolated.To put it as succinctly as possible, this film is appalling jingoistic claptrap.(Sort of a Madama Butterfly with bad music.)
Serious, thoughtful role for John Wayne
margpetit-3383510 September 2020
Definitely not the usual role for the Duke. He plays the role of the first diplomat to Japan with great sensitivity and thoughtfulness. His acting is truly worthy of praise. I don't understand why this film is so overlooked. I don't know if the relationship between Harris and Okichi is fact or fiction but that he was there in Shimoda and went to Edo to create a treaty with Japan is historically correct. The backgrounds, costuming, sets and music all add to the beauty of this lovely little film. Much about the life of a geisha of the time is accurate- there are several stories about Okichi and who really knows what is true. Mr Harris never married when he returned to New York. All that aside, I love this movie- it's beautifully filmed, the acting is wonderful and the opportunity to learn a bit of Japan's feudal history is fascinating . Those who say John Wayne couldn't "act" - should watch his performance in The Barbarian and the Geisha! And how often do you see John Wayne lifted off his feet and shaken like a rag doll and then tossed around by a midget?! That scene alone is priceless! I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to know another side of John Wayne, the man and the actor.
Artificial Reality
davidmvining15 September 2023
Probably not as bad as its reputation, but still rather deeply flawed, John Huston's The Barbarian and the Geisha is one of those films that purports to tell a true story but almost never feels true in its own right. That's not to say that it's actually bad, just that it leans so far into melodramatic tropes that I simply stopped believing that there was even a tenuous connection to actual historical events or that things would play out like this in the realm of the world the movie itself created. I was reminded of John Ford's superior The Prisoner of Shark Island that had some connection to reality, pumped up the dramatic bits beyond believability, but still managed to keep the entertainment core of the film alive, something that Huston didn't manage to do. Sure, there are stories that Fox took away the film from him in the edit, that he, for at least the second time, simply abandoned a film in post-production, but Huston still approved a script full of melodramatic nonsense and shot it.
Townsend Harris (John Wayne) arrives at the Shimoda harbor, expecting to be received in his official capacity as Consul General to Japan, but the Japanese governor Tamura (So Yamamura) will not receive him in official capacity because of a disagreement over the definitions and original process of agreement that Commodore Perry signed with the Shogun two years prior. This puts Harris and his translator, Henry Heusken (Sam Jaffe) into an awkward position where they must remain in Japan, waiting for the Shogun in Edo to recognize him officially while Tamura uses his official position to undermine Harris' basic ability to maintain a household in the area by, at the minimum, refusing to restrict the native population's harassment of Harris and his household, but Harris sticks through the silence from Edo and the negative treatment from the citizens of Shimoda for months.
The most interesting parts of the film deal with the diplomatic aspects. The little argument about specificity of language that starts the film is surprisingly interesting since the two characters are arguing about something on the surface while there's implied drama just underneath. It's a surprisingly tense encounter, and watching as Harris has to do his best to navigate this strange world, its customs and mores, all without losing his Americanness exemplified by Wayne's performance (a surprisingly restrained one that showed Wayne did have some chops), is where the dramatic core of the film lies.
However, there's Okichi (Eiko Ando) to deal with. More folk tale than actual history, Okichi is the eponymous geisha that Tamura sends into Harris' house as maid, potential lover, and definite spy. The melodramatic core of the film is the relationship between Harris and Okichi, and it just doesn't get the kind of attention it needs to really flower. It also never feels really believable because a lot of it relies on Ando to sell her side of things, and she seems to be speaking phonetically, all of her dialogue coming out haltingly when she speaks English. The relationship also has no real dramatic underpinnings, the two simply falling into a love they cannot ultimately consummate because of their cultural barriers, and it feels like either the writing by Charles Grayson never established or the editing cut out some of the necessary building blocks to actually give the two a reason to fall for each other. Throw in the fact that we have larger dramatic things, like a cholera outbreak that Harris has to fight with fire, and this central romantic relationship just feels unbelievable and like a very large distraction.
That cholera epidemic is also where the diplomatic side of things passed the point of believability for me. It's the kind of adventure-esque thing a writer would put into a real story to pump up the action, and while it's well filmed and actually a bit exciting, it breaks the reality of the events for me, pushing the diplomatic side of things into the melodramatic that the romantic side always waded into. I don't think I'd complain about it as much if it were the only real source of this fake kind of action in the film, but combined with the unremarkable and unbelievable romance, it just doesn't raise my interest in the film as a whole.
I kind of get the sense that Huston was in the middle of a phase where he was using filmmaking as an excuse to travel, and capturing the colors of Japan is the highlight of the film. I mean, I've seen my share of Japan through cinema, so it's not exactly new to me. And yet, it's still nice to see the seaside community of Shimoda, the countryside between Shimoda and Edo, and the Edo palace in such bright colors with wide lenses that let the details sink in. I also think that Wayne put in a finely credible performance, even though he and Huston were apparently at odds a lot during filming (completely with perhaps apocryphal stories of Wayne choking Huston). I also like Sam Jaffe as a character actor, and he does his small role credit.
Is it good? No, not at all. Is it a disaster? Not really. It's just this over-romanticized look at the life of a real man that goes so far over the edge that it doesn't feel real anymore. Throw in the fact that the romance feels off as well, and there's not a whole lot to grasp onto than physical production (which is actually really, really good) and performance, which is largely solid. Is it the worst film Huston had made? Well, it and Beat the Devil are gonna have to fight that one out by themselves...for now.
Townsend Harris (John Wayne) arrives at the Shimoda harbor, expecting to be received in his official capacity as Consul General to Japan, but the Japanese governor Tamura (So Yamamura) will not receive him in official capacity because of a disagreement over the definitions and original process of agreement that Commodore Perry signed with the Shogun two years prior. This puts Harris and his translator, Henry Heusken (Sam Jaffe) into an awkward position where they must remain in Japan, waiting for the Shogun in Edo to recognize him officially while Tamura uses his official position to undermine Harris' basic ability to maintain a household in the area by, at the minimum, refusing to restrict the native population's harassment of Harris and his household, but Harris sticks through the silence from Edo and the negative treatment from the citizens of Shimoda for months.
The most interesting parts of the film deal with the diplomatic aspects. The little argument about specificity of language that starts the film is surprisingly interesting since the two characters are arguing about something on the surface while there's implied drama just underneath. It's a surprisingly tense encounter, and watching as Harris has to do his best to navigate this strange world, its customs and mores, all without losing his Americanness exemplified by Wayne's performance (a surprisingly restrained one that showed Wayne did have some chops), is where the dramatic core of the film lies.
However, there's Okichi (Eiko Ando) to deal with. More folk tale than actual history, Okichi is the eponymous geisha that Tamura sends into Harris' house as maid, potential lover, and definite spy. The melodramatic core of the film is the relationship between Harris and Okichi, and it just doesn't get the kind of attention it needs to really flower. It also never feels really believable because a lot of it relies on Ando to sell her side of things, and she seems to be speaking phonetically, all of her dialogue coming out haltingly when she speaks English. The relationship also has no real dramatic underpinnings, the two simply falling into a love they cannot ultimately consummate because of their cultural barriers, and it feels like either the writing by Charles Grayson never established or the editing cut out some of the necessary building blocks to actually give the two a reason to fall for each other. Throw in the fact that we have larger dramatic things, like a cholera outbreak that Harris has to fight with fire, and this central romantic relationship just feels unbelievable and like a very large distraction.
That cholera epidemic is also where the diplomatic side of things passed the point of believability for me. It's the kind of adventure-esque thing a writer would put into a real story to pump up the action, and while it's well filmed and actually a bit exciting, it breaks the reality of the events for me, pushing the diplomatic side of things into the melodramatic that the romantic side always waded into. I don't think I'd complain about it as much if it were the only real source of this fake kind of action in the film, but combined with the unremarkable and unbelievable romance, it just doesn't raise my interest in the film as a whole.
I kind of get the sense that Huston was in the middle of a phase where he was using filmmaking as an excuse to travel, and capturing the colors of Japan is the highlight of the film. I mean, I've seen my share of Japan through cinema, so it's not exactly new to me. And yet, it's still nice to see the seaside community of Shimoda, the countryside between Shimoda and Edo, and the Edo palace in such bright colors with wide lenses that let the details sink in. I also think that Wayne put in a finely credible performance, even though he and Huston were apparently at odds a lot during filming (completely with perhaps apocryphal stories of Wayne choking Huston). I also like Sam Jaffe as a character actor, and he does his small role credit.
Is it good? No, not at all. Is it a disaster? Not really. It's just this over-romanticized look at the life of a real man that goes so far over the edge that it doesn't feel real anymore. Throw in the fact that the romance feels off as well, and there's not a whole lot to grasp onto than physical production (which is actually really, really good) and performance, which is largely solid. Is it the worst film Huston had made? Well, it and Beat the Devil are gonna have to fight that one out by themselves...for now.
John Wayne the diplomat-who knew?
frank412221 June 2019
Many things about The Barbarian and the Geisha are intriguing. This is based on a true story of Townsend Harris, played by John Wayne an American merchant and diplomat who in 1856 was appointed the first U.S. Consul to Japan. The script aptly explores the theme of the cultural differences of isolationist Japan and the expanding pre Civil War America. Shot in Japan, the scenery is stunning, and the costumes are beautiful. Also, this was John Huston's first and only collaboration with Wayne. The great Manchurian actress, beautiful Eiko Ando passionately plays Okichi, the geisha assigned to Harris. Sam Jaffe does well in support as European interpreter Henry Heusken. There's none of the bar room brawls found in many Duke movies, but nonetheless much action ensues. A cholera outbreak, an assassination, and half the village burned down for starters give the Yanks reason to be concerned. Not the usual role for John Wayne, but he is exceptional as the cultured passionate diplomat the role calls for.
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