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Film Review: 'Emperor'

  • 04 October 2013
  • by CineVue UK
  • CineVue
★★☆☆☆ World wars and their subsequent fallout are topics cinema loves revisiting. Directed by Peter Webber and set in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Emperor (2012) centres on the efforts of military intelligence head Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox) - under orders from General MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) - to investigate Emperor Hirohito's (Takatarô Kataoka) culpability for Japan's war crimes. Although he has a strict ten-day deadline to adhere to, Fellers' focus is distracted by memories of his past romance with Japanese exchange student Aya Shimada (Eriko Hatsune), whose whereabouts are unknown.

It's a beautifully shot picture; post-war, Tokyo has been reduced to a barren wasteland, the emperor's palace the only building of opulence that remains. Contrastingly, when we glimpse Japan through Fellers' flashbacks, Webber showcases the country's beauty. This, as well as the strict adherence to the native language and culture (the differing ideas of honour theme is prevalent
See full article at CineVue »

Emperor Review

  • 02 October 2013
  • by Stefan Pape
  • HeyUGuys
It’s always fascinating to find a certain facet to World War 2 and delve into it, as although the War has been covered so extensively in film, Peter Webber’s Emperor proves there are always areas left untouched and inspiring stories not yet told. The forthcoming Colin Firth title The Railway Man proves a similar point, as two films that look into the conflicting politics concerning the Japanese army during such a time.

Taking place in the final stages of the Second World War, there’s an intense and ambivalent atmosphere as the Japanese surrender, as the future of Emperor Hirohito (Takatarô Kataoka) lies in the balance, as he potentially faces the death penalty for war crimes. Supreme Commander of the occupying forces, General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones), leaves the decision of whether the Emperor will be trialled with General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox), a Japanese expert, who sets off to undertake his research,
See full article at HeyUGuys »

Exclusive: Emperor 'Revenge or Justice' Featurette

Exclusive: Emperor 'Revenge or Justice' Featurette
The filmmakers behind the World War II drama Emperor take us behind-the-scenes in our exclusive featurette for the Blu-ray and DVD. Tommy Lee Jones stars as General Douglas MacArthur, who arrived in Japan in 1945 shortly after Emperor Hirohito surrendered at the end of World War II. Crew members describe how they turned modern-day New Zealand into 1940s Japan to recreate historic moments such as MacArthur's arrival in the country.

General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) is sent to Japan immediately after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender in 1945 and suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation. He challenges his expert of Japanese culture - General Fellers (Matthew Fox) - to provide evidence in 10 short days to decide if the Japanese Emperor, worshipped as a God by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or saved? The fate of a nation awaits...

Special Features:
See full article at MovieWeb »

Exclusive: Emporer 'Revenge or Justice' Featurette

Exclusive: Emporer 'Revenge or Justice' Featurette
The filmmakers behind the World War II drama Emperor take us behind-the-scenes in our exclusive featurette for the Blu-ray and DVD. Tommy Lee Jones stars as General Douglas MacArthur, who arrived in Japan in 1945 shortly after Emperor Hirohito surrendered at the end of World War II. Crew members describe how they turned modern-day New Zealand into 1940s Japan to recreate historic moments such as MacArthur's arrival in the country.

General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) is sent to Japan immediately after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender in 1945 and suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation. He challenges his expert of Japanese culture - General Fellers (Matthew Fox) - to provide evidence in 10 short days to decide if the Japanese Emperor, worshipped as a God by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or saved? The fate of a nation awaits...

Special Features:
See full article at MovieWeb »

Emperor Review

“Let’s show them some good old-fashioned American swagger.” – Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur

That, my friends, is how Peter Webber’s historical drama Emperor starts out. An iconic figure muttering some almost cheesy yet curiously badass catch phrase type line, setting us up for a rousing war drama about the reconstruction of a once powerful nation. Time to watch America dole out some furious justice on a people who so viciously attacked Pearl Harbor as General MacArthur and his right hand General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox) interrogate all major Japanese players when they are tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito should be hanged for war crimes or be found innocent. This is going to be some exciting stuff, right?

You can imagine my curiosity when a love story was introduced rather early between General Fellers and a Japanese exchange student he met at college named Aya, which
See full article at We Got This Covered »

Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox Go After Japan’s Emperor in First Tralier

Here’s the first trailer for “Hannibal Rising” director Peter Webber’s latest, the post-World War II set “Emperor”, which finds Matthew Fox and Tommy Lee Jones playing Generals in the aftermath of the war. This is apparently a true story. Or, well, true-ish whenever Hollywood is involved, let’s be honest here. Looks interesting. I’m always a sucker for historical tales about topics that I didn’t know anything about previously, and I certainly had no idea the U.S. Army was considering hanging Japan’s emperor for his role in WWII. 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. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Isao Natsuyagi, Matthew Fox, Kaori Momoi, Toshiyuki Nishida,
See full article at Beyond Hollywood »

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