Bridge to the Sun (1961)

 While this film had its offensive parts, it was actually still a solid film.

Southerner Gwen Harold (Carroll Baker) falls in love with Japanese diplomat, Hidenari Terasaki (James Shigeta) during a visit to Washington DC in 1935 and despite their differences, her indifferent aunt and the Japanese ambassador's objections, they marry anyway. 

While Gwen finds the Japanese traditions ridiculous, the two are still largely happy and have a daughter together, but their happiness is short-lived thanks to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Unwilling to leave her husband, Gwen returns to a starving Japan where they remain throughout the war, narrowly escaping death several times. 

After the war is finally over and Gwen believes that they can be happy again, Terry's health deteriorates and he refuses (as is tradition) to let his wife see him die so he sends them both back to the US. She goes, albeit reluctantly, after their tearful farewell.

Baker does a good job with a difficult role and while the story is strong, I do think that parts are quite offensive, like when Gwen hosts a dinner and wears not only a kimono but also a wig so her hair can look like everyone else's, which is just wrong. But the film still shows how wretched the war was in Japan and how cruel America was to them and it also depicts the traditional Japanese way of life so while the film has issues, it is also groundbreaking. This is actually one of the few films that I hope gets a remake because while this film had the potential to be really great, I wished it would have been more intimate and had given the budget material like that deserved as this could have been far more of an epic love story than what it was. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-It must have been very difficult for little Mako (Emi Florence Hirsch) in both countries, as they were literally at war with the each other.

-While Gwen's parents are mentioned several times, their reaction to her marriage is never shown. 

-It is ironic that Gwen attends a show and returns home before learning of Pearl Harbor. 

-It is never said what Terry dies of but I suspect cancer. 

-And I have to say it, Terry doesn't have his cane on the boat while saying his farewells but as he waves good-bye on the ground, he does which makes no sense.