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Imagine a Japanese diplomat solemnly intoning to his young secret agent that their country's honor depended on being able to protect American warships and troop ships as they traversed the Pacific. Not exactly what most of conjure up when we remember relations in that part of the world between our countries.But in 1917 Japan and the U.S. were on the same side, fighting the Central Powers. In "The Secret Game" the U.S. is planning a master stroke attack against Germany and Austria-Hungary through Russia and our ships will cross the Pacific to Vladivostok. No such plan was ever envisaged but its the center of the plot here.Young Sessue Hayakawa, born to a military family in Japan, is Nara-Nara, the secret agent. How anyone came up with that idiotic name is lost to history. Hayakawa, masquerading as a curios dealer in, essentially, cheap trinkets, is out to uncover a German spy ring.An evil man runs the spy operation but his chief agent is lovely Kitty Little, played by the very busy and beautiful silent film actress Florence Vidor (she didn't make it to success in the talkies). Kitty is to seduce, Platonically of course, MAJ John Northfield, acted by Jack Holt. Surprise: they actually fall in love.How can so lovely a woman be in the service of our evil foes? Don't worry-she sees the light and comes to her comely senses. Hayakawa is effective as a man with strong morals and deep conviction whose usually impeccable behavior lapses through an all-too-common human failing. He redeems himself melodramatically.Particularly interesting is that a black character is portrayed without any racial denigration and Hayakawa himself is emblematically Japanese without any crude stereotyping. Hayakawa, by the way, devoted much time during World War I to raising money for bonds in the U.S. He had a long career. Ironically his most remembered role for which he was Oscar-nominated was as the Japanese World War II prisoner-of-war camp commander in "The Bridge Over the River Kwai."This is a small gem from the glory days of the silents. Very worth seeing.8/10
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