Search - Sayonara on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1957 DVD Release: 09/18/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 27 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama, War Romance

Sayonara takes its own sweet time to unfold; in so doing, it permits us to make intimate acquaintance with its characters, so as to better understand their multitextured motivations. The film is set in Japan during the Korean War. While on leave, pugnacious American soldier Red Buttons falls in love with Japanese maiden Miyoshi Umeki. Given the army's official policy against interracial marriage, Buttons is courting a court-martial. His best friend, major Marlon Brando, tries to talk Buttons out of "ruining" his life. Brando himself is about to marry Patricia Owens, the daughter of general Kent Smith. Fighting back his own prejudices, Brando agrees to be Buttons' best man at the latter's wedding to Umeki. Later, Brando himself falls for Miiko Taka, a beautiful Kabuki dancer. This sparks an all-out onslaught of racial bigotry from the Army brass, and an official edict sending American soldiers back to the states without their Japanese wives. Buttons cannot bear being parted with Umeki; as a result, the two commit suicide. The tragedy compels the army to soften its attitudes towards miscegenation. Brando is reunited with Taka, who in a parallel situation has had to ward off the inbred prejudices of her people. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, Sayonara won five, including "Best Supporting Actor" (Red Buttons, whose moribund career was revitalized herein) and "Best Supporting Actress" (Miyoshi Umeki). And yes, that is Ricardo Montalban in Japanese makeup as a Kabuki actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Marlon Brando - Maj. Lloyd Gruver
Red Buttons - Joe Kelly
Ricardo Montalban - Nakamura
Miyoshi Umeki - Katsumi
Patricia Owens - Eileen Webster
Miiko Taka - Hana-ogi
Martha Scott - Mrs. Webster

Joshua Logan's military drama Sayonara comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that, though not anamorphic, preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Mono. English and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials are limited to the original theatrical trailer. This is a very good presentation of an old film that contains one of Marlon Brando's least appreciated performances. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide