Emperor (2012)

As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

Director:

Peter Webber

Writers:

Vera Blasi (screenplay), David Klass (screenplay),

Stars:

Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox, Eriko Hatsune

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tommy Lee Jones	...	General Douglas MacArthur
Matthew Fox	...	General Bonner Fellers
Kaori Momoi	...	Mitsuko Kajima
Eriko Hatsune	...	Aya Shimada
Isao Natsuyagi	...	Teizaburo Sekiya
Aaron Jackson	...	Lt Col. Rogers (rumored)
Toshiyuki Nishida	...	General Kajima
Colin Moy	...	General Richter
William Wallace	...	CIC Commander (as Will Wallace)
Nic Sampson	...	Lt. Red
Masatô Ibu	...	Koichi Kido
Takatarô Kataoka	...	Emperor
Masatoshi Nakamura	...	Fumimaro Konoe
Shôhei Hino	...	Hideki Tojo
Gareth Ruck	...	Master Sergeant

Storyline

A story of love and understanding set amidst the tensions and uncertainties of the days immediately following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. On the staff of General Douglas MacArthur (Jones), the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces, a leading Japanese expert, General Bonner Fellers (Fox) is charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: should Emperor Hirohito be tried and hanged as a war criminal? Interwoven is the story of Fellers' love affair with Aya, a Japanese exchange student he had met years previously in the U.S. Memories of Aya and his quest to find her in the ravaged post-war landscape help Fellers to discover both his wisdom and his humanity and enable him to come to the momentous decision that changed the course of history and the future of two nations.

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Plot Keywords:

emperor | japanese surrender | japan | douglas macarthur | post world war two | 

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Taglines:

Japan 1945: General Douglas MacArthur was given a mission to decide the fate of a nation, the guilt of a leader, and the true price of peace.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violent content, brief strong language and smoking (historical)

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp] Roadside Attractions [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

25 April 2013 (Bahrain)

Also Known As:

Keiser

Filming Locations:

Oratia, Auckland, New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$1,014,134 (USA) (8 March 2013)

Gross:

$3,319,356 (USA) (10 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Krasnoff Foster Productions, Fellers Film, United Performers' Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

MacArthur's C-54 has a red stripe in the white bar of the national insignia. This was not added until 1948.

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Quotes

General Douglas MacArthur: After careful consideration, I've decided that General Richter can go piss up a rope.

User Reviews

Very Good Movie

This movie provides a very good depiction of a historically significant event that is all but ignored in movies and text. Seamless transitions between history and entertainment, the cast of this movie (especially the Japanese ones) expertly capture the complexity of what is the Japanese culture and psyche during post WWII reconstruction. Tommy Lee Jones also does an amazing portrayal of MacArthur in copying his mannerisms and affect.

This is a movie for people who appreciate historical context, attention to detail, and subtle references packaged with solid, proportioned acting.