Emperor - DVD

Played fine. Read more

This movie tells the story of the US Army JAG teams trying to put together the Pacific theater war crimes indictments in the first month after the Japanese surrender. It centers on the Tokyo HQ team investigating the question as whether the Emperor of Japan should be tried for allowing the Imperial General Staff a free hand in the attack at Pearl Harbor and ensuing events during the war. Movie plot centers on two major American characters, US General Fellows leading the inquest team concerning the Emperor; and General Douglas MacArthur micro-managing his work as well as establishing the occupation forces in Japan in the fall of 1945. Success of the Occupation will balance on the situation regarding the Emperor. This is all interesting, and as we have learned since 1945, this was a difficult situation. Script is based on true events and actual people. Interesting...but hardly exciting. We follow flashbacks in the life of General Fellows as he recalls falling in love with a Japanese woman he met in university and again in subsequent pre-war trips to Japan, and as he attempts to find her again in the bombed-out chaos of 1945 Japan. While the movie is interesting and watchable, the viuewer will have to endure some of the most "unique mis)castings of any movie in a long time! Matthew Fox ( LOST) as a US Army general...hmmm. OK, possible...he's in his early 30s now and there were 23 and 24 year old generals in rare cases. Works as 50% of the love interest...and I sort of suspect he owns a share of the film.. Tommy Lee Jones as General of the Army Douglas MacArthur...now that's a bit of a strech to me.. Imperious, aloof, tall, calculating, Virginia "gentlemanly, were all terms used (among others) to describe MacArthur. Best played on the screen by Gregory Peck in 1977's "MacArthur", becoming a virtual clone to the real guy. Sir Laurence Oliver did Doug once, not too well, in the movie "Inchon". OK, we get Tommy Lee Jones, Arkansas accent and all. Costuming did it's part, the uniform and crushed cap, corn-cob pipe, and all that...on a short guy who looked nothing like the real guy...sorta reminded me of General MacArthur as he would have been played by Yosemite Sam! Best casting was of the beautiful actress who played Aya, the lost love of Fox' character. All Japanese actors were perfectly cast as their actual counterparts in history. Sets were fine, locations in Japan and rural New Zealand (as parts of rural Japan). Vehicles were spot-on. Even a background Japanese Chi-ha tank. Japanese speak Japanese with English subtitles 90% of the movie. I wish the subtitles would have been used when the Japanese spoke English, as many were so thickly accented it was difficult to understandexcept in context. I wouls recommend this to a person interested in the history presented. Look not for action nor courtroom stuff...it's what goes on behind the scenes putting an indictment together. Read more

I knew nothing of this film when I bought it, I did so on the back of Tommy Lee Jones being cast as MacArthur. Having considered to get the UK Blu-ray release I opted to import the US release instead. As usual, the UK release comes with few extras. However the US release has a commentary track by director &, the producer. It also offers a featurette (ca. 15 min.); deleted scenes (ca. 6-7 min.), behind the scenes photo gallery, historical photo gallery & a trailer (plus trailers for; The Flowers of War; The English Patient, and; Conspirator). The only requirement for enjoying these extras, along with the film; you have to gave a multi-region player. As the commentary is enlightening, and this is a good film, I consider it a purchase well worth it. The film certainly teaches, without preaching. My 2 sons (aged 25 & 21) also found spending 1hour and 45 min. was worth the time. My plea to English firms releasing Blu-rays: Please look to the US versions and incl. the extras instead of keep short changing your customer base. Read more

Arrived on time and was in excellent condition! Read more

Magnificent ! A wonderful story told from a personal perspective with immense and obvious historical repercussions. The roots of today's Japan planted and nourished by real leaders and real men of character. There are a few rats too, so that the viewer can see the difference between politicians (rats with any uniform) and statesmen (men of character that do and accomplish the great deeds for all of humanity). I think the bottom line is that we all have whiskers, but we all can rise when we choose to do so. Read more

Japan has surrendered after their morale has been decimated after two atomic bomb blasts. The occupying U.S. Army under the aegis of General Douglas MacArthur(Tommy Lee Jones) are crafting a rebuilding of their conquered former enemies but there are a few pieces of business to take care of most notably the fate of Emperor Hirohito. The people in the States want the Emperor hanged but MacArthur knows that he is regarded as a God in some quarters by his constituency. Executing him may cause an uprising and MacArthur has to find compelling evidence to avoid putting Hirohito on trial. He assigns the case to General Bonner Fellers(Matthew Fox) to gather evidence to either try or not try Hirohito and is given a scant ten days. The beauty of "Emperor" is it works not so much as a conventional war film but a legal drama where the Army acts as attorneys for the most unlikely of defendants. The film is intricately crafted and though we know the outcome it is interesting to see how history takes shape. There are a few dry patches in the film but that might be because the makers are attempting to demonstrate the arduous nature of an investigation. Some people find fault with a love story between Fellers and a Japanese girl shown in flashback prior to the war. I didn't think these segments interfered with the narrative but added texture to the job that Fellers had at hand and what his emotions are about carrying it out. The acting in the film is par and Jones does Jones playing Douglas MacArthur. This film was barely released in theatres but any student of history should definitely check it out. Read more