Movie Thread

[keefe]

I viewed a stellar piece of cinema last night that I thought I would share with this crowd. Alexander Sokurov's "The Sun" is a fascinating look at the demystification and humanization of Japanese Emperor Hirohito and the pivotal role played by Gen MacArthur in that transformation.

Overnight, Hirohito must come to terms with his status as a deity and understands that the fate of his nation rests on his willingness to confront the reality of his own humanity. Sokurov offers glimpses into Hirohito's own doubts that offer the man up as allegory for a culture finally being pulled out of a 1,500 year feudal darkness.

But this is far less the story of a people than it is a study of the consuming power of totalitarian ideology. "The Sun"  is part of a trilogy with the other works on Lenin and Hitler. I found this film to be devastatingly clever in its subtle commentary on corruption and Sokurov's gauzy, tintype cinematography adds historical grit and introspection to the plot. A very thought provoking movie that I recommend highly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/movies/18sun.html?_r=0

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I have Emperor with Tommy Lee Jones on my Netflix queue that I think covers the same topic but from the McArthur perspective.

[keefe]

I have Emperor with Tommy Lee Jones on my Netflix queue that I think covers the same topic but from the McArthur perspective.

I was given that dvd by a friend. I have also ordered the Gregory Peck film on MacArthur and will watch both this weekend.

The Showa is a fascinating character in modern history. He is likely the least understood, for reasons of culture, power politics, and a concerted effort by both the Imperial House and MacArthur's SCAP government who needed a rehabilitated Hirohito to legitimize many institutional pillars of post-war Japan.

The Showa is often characterized as a puppet or figurehead but the reality is he was not just more engaged than the historical narrative states but was also far more clever than he was ever given credit. Herbert Bix wrote the definitive study of the Showa. In his work, "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan" Bix notes that while MacArthur has been positioned as the leading driver of change in post-war Asia it was actually a collaborative effort between SCAP and the Showa that gave vitality to what became the Cold War consensus in Asia. And rather than the popular notion of MacArthur manipulating Hirohito, Bix asserts that it was more a matter of the Showa influencing MacArthur in ways SCAP never realized.

What is truly intriguing is the different approaches each brought to the exercise of authority. MacArthur was uniquely American and exercised power boldly through a position of merit. Hirohito, on the other hand, was far more subtle yet no less ruthless and imposed his will through a position of entitlement. Understanding that distinction is essential to discerning how each man was an effective leader.

Sokurov's piece cleverly positions how these contrasting styles meshed symbiotically in a way that enabled each man to accomplish his most important objectives without MacArthur feeling a sense of diminished authority or the Showa a loss of face. In the end, MacArthur got exactly what he wanted as did Hirohito. A very unique take on a pivotal intersect in world history. Rarely have two so radically different cultures engaged as successfully. "The Sun" is compelling cinema that deserves its many awards.

[keefe]

I have Emperor with Tommy Lee Jones on my Netflix queue that I think covers the same topic but from the McArthur perspective.

I watched the Gregory Peck MacArthur and was hugely disappointed. I would give it a miss. I will watch the Tommy Lee Jones version tonight.

[muwarrior69]

I have Emperor with Tommy Lee Jones on my Netflix queue that I think covers the same topic but from the McArthur perspective.

If you liked "The Sun" you may be disappointed watching "Emperor".

[keefe]

If you liked "The Sun" you may be disappointed watching "Emperor".

It was a huge mistake watching MacArthur immediately after The Sun. Bloody awful, actually.

[GOO]

The Sun is on NetFlix streaming. Nice. And it looks like I can watch it in front of my 9 year old...?

[keefe]

The Sun is on NetFlix streaming. Nice. And it looks like I can watch it in front of my 9 year old...?

It's a foreign film that was not rated but it would be "G" if anything.

[willie warrior]

I watched the Gregory Peck MacArthur and was hugely disappointed. I would give it a miss. I will watch the Tommy Lee Jones version tonight.

Nothing compares with George C. Scott's Patton.

[keefe]

Nothing compares with George C. Scott's Patton.

The Speech

Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big league ball player, the toughest boxer. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

Now, an Army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating.

We have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit and the best men in the world. You know, by God I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against. By God, I do. We're not just going to shoot the bastards, we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel.

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.

Now there's another thing I want you to remember. I don't want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We're not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're gonna go through him like crap through a goose.

There's one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home. And you may thank God for it. Thirty years from now when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what did you do in the great World War II, you won't have to say, "Well, I shoveled sh1t in Louisiana."

Alright now, you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. Oh, and I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle – anytime, anywhere.

That is all.