Tokyo Joe

• 
  
  November 2, 2007

  FangsFirst

  I picked this up despite middling reviews because, hey, it was Bogart, and it was pretty cheap. I figured, "What the hell, Bogie should be enough."
  
  By and large that was true. It's a pretty standard 40s suspense/thriller type movie, with Bogie as ex-Col. Joe Barrett, former owne...( read more)r of Tokyo Joe's, a "joint" (as he puts it) in Tokyo which he had "decided to make [his] hometown." Now he's returning about seven years later, after the war has ended and is given repeated run arounds by the occupying United States forces as he tries to re-establish himself. He's forbidden to enter his own former place of business, but ignores these orders and there meets up with his partner Ito, who gives him a polite brush; here we see one of the endemic problems with films of this age. Now, I should be fair--this is pretty nice and well-meaning in its approach to the Japanese, considering the time it was made. Nothing is made of them as a people on the whole, and this brush is Ito claiming social responsibility for Pearl Harbor, to which Joe says--"Oh, you were the one who planned the whole thing, huh?" A good sentiment--at least pointing out that no, they are not all responsible, but suggesting that it's not unreasonable for a lot of them to feel humbled by the way the US came in and treated them so nicely after bombing the crap out of them. Er, right. Maybe there's some basis in fact here, but the whole thing plays out like they very well should be sorry--as a society. Madness.
  
  Anyway, that was the only bothersome thing, beyond one social stereotype that makes an appearance late in the film, is handled poorly and comes off as a ridiculous attempt to be aware of a culture the writers were apparently not thoroughly up on.
  
  The rest of the cast is decent enough, with a plot that revolves around Bogie's old flame from Tokyo (of course, SHE's not fromTokyo, she's European...) re-appearing despite his belief that she's dead, and learning that there's a dark cloud of guilt hanging over her--and what Joe must then do to protect her. Things roll out pretty much as expected from here, and we come to the conclusion of the film about as we expect. Joe is basically another Rick, US citizen out for money and business in a foreign land, who secretly harbours immense patriotism which we see come out in a time of need. Blah blah. Not really all that great, but Bogie is always magnetic and charismatic, so it's a passing grade for it; an enjoyable bit of fluff.
  
  Dig that judo scene near the beginning--that whole bit with Ito is actually handled pretty well, previously mentioned stumble aside, and the judo looks not only "real" but pretty well choreographed. Shame the silly romance and hamfisted military/patriotic aspect had to rear their ugly heads, really. Still, worth seeing for fans of Bogart, I suppose.

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  November 3, 2007

  hugonar

  Don't remember much, only that I've seen it.

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