Sayonara
“"I am not allowed to love. But I will love you if that is your desire..."”
Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver (Marlon Brando) is reassigned to a Japanese air base, and is confronted with US racial prejudice against the Japanese people. The issue is compounded because a number of the soldiers become romantically involved with Japanese women, in defiance of US military policy. Ordinarily an officer who is by-the-book, Gruver must take a position when a buddy of his, an enlisted man Joe Kelly (Red Buttons) falls in love with a Japanese woman Katsumi (Miyoshi Umeki) and marries her. Gruver risks his position by serving as best man at the wedding ceremony.
A sweeping, yet intimate, drama exploring the complexities of love and prejudice against a post-war Japanese backdrop. It feels earnest and deeply felt, with a quiet intensity that lingers long after the credits roll.
