An American romantic drama; A story set in 1856 about the first American Consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, who lands in Japan aiming to overcome opposition from the local authorities to be granted an audience with Japan's military dictator, the Shogun. Along the way he falls in love with a geisha who teaches him how to adapt to her country's customs.
This biographical story set during the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate, is about patience and determination in holding out for a worthy cause. It makes for a static story, and poorly paced, but the settings, costumes and colour photography provide shots of exquisite composition, appeal to the senses and very watchable distraction. Wayne provides ballast and Eiko Ando is enchanting as the romantic interest. There are some historical inaccuracies with the story, and it descends to melodrama eventually, but overall it has surface appeal to carry its relatively short running time.
Review of The Barbarian and the Geisha
