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The Wind Cannot Read (1958)

| Drama, Romance, War | 14 July 1958 (Denmark)
The Wind Cannot Read Poster
During World War II, Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn (Sir Dirk Bogarde), a British officer stationed in Asia, is recruited by Army Intelligence, is tasked with learning Japanese to interrogate Japanese P.O.W.s and he falls in love with his pretty Japanese teacher "Sabby" (Suzuki San) (Yôko Tani).

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writers:

Richard Mason (novel), Richard Mason (screenplay)

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Yôko Tani, Ronald Lewis | See full cast & crew »
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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview:
Dirk Bogarde ... Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn
Yôko Tani ... 'Sabby' [Suzuki San] (as Yoko Tani)
Ronald Lewis ... Squadron Leader Fenwick
John Fraser ... Flying Officer Peter Munroe
Anthony Bushell ... The Brigadier
Marne Maitland ... Bahadur
Michael Medwin ... Flying Officer Lamb
Richard Leech ... Hobson
Tony Wager ... Moss (as Anthony Wager)
Tadashi Ikeda Tadashi Ikeda ... Itsumi San
Heihachirô Ôkawa Heihachirô Ôkawa ... Lieutenant Nakamura (as Henry Okawa)
Yoichi Matsue Yoichi Matsue ... Corporal Mori
Donald Pleasence ... The Doctor
Joy Michael Joy Michael ... First Nurse
Avice Landone ... Second Nurse
See full cast »
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Storyline

During World War II, the Japanese forces push their way into Burma and threaten to invade British India at the end of 1942. Caught in a flood of war refugees fleeing Burma, R.A.F. Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn (Sir Dirk Bogarde) and a fellow Officer are retreating toward the Burma-India border. The disorganized column marching under the intense scorching sun runs into a Japanese ambush. Under a hail of fire, they all scatter in all directions. Quinn and his comrade head for the desert. After a few gruelling hours of walking in the infernal desert, they finally reach a British Army outpost. In 1943, Quinn is sent for a bit of rest and relaxation. He's spending his time skiing in the Indian mountains and relaxing at the New Everest Hotel where his Indian orderly, Bahadur (Marne Maitland), constantly spoils him. Fellow R.A.F. Flying Officer Peter Munroe (John Fraser) shows up at the hotel and informs Quinn that no one is leaving for Britain yet. Munroe also tells Quinn that the two of ... Written by nufs68

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

language lesson | hung by wrists | pedicab | riding an elephant | interracial marriage | See All (19) »

Taglines:

2000 Years of Tradition Said "No!" To Their Love - But Nothing Could Stop It From Happening! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 1958 (Denmark) See more »

Also Known As:

El viento no sabe leer See more »

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Rank Organisation See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (uncredited)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Opening credits: All characters in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. See more »

Goofs

When Quinn breaks his handcuffs with a rock (c. 97 minutes), his wrists are not bleeding and his right wrist shows no serious sign of injury; yet in the next shot he is bandaging both his wrists, now bleeding, with the torn strips from his shirt. See more »

Quotes

Brigadier: I was 17 years in Tokyo and I got so used to squatting Japanese fashion on the floor that an ordinary chair would give me pins and needles.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: BURMA 1942

"Though on the sign it is written: 'Don't pluck these blossoms'- it is useless against the wind, which cannot read."

  • JAPANESE POEM


INDIA 1943 See more »

Connections

Referenced in Absolute Beginners (1986) See more »

Soundtracks

The Wind Cannot Read
Written and Composed by Peter Hart
and Sung by Vera Lynn
See more »

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User Reviews

Drippy, but sweetly exotic romance
20 April 2001 | by ButaNiShinju – See all my reviews

Dirk Bogarde in India circa 1943 training to fight the Japanese, falls in love with a self-exiled Japanese woman (his instructor at military language school).

Bogarde can infuse any performance with interest and tension. Yoko Tani, the female lead, is not a great actress but hits the right tone. Those familiar with Japan and the Japanese will appreciate that care was taken in the film to make it authentic -- real Japanese actors speaking real and quite appropriate Japanese.

Very well photographed with some great scenes of India. A diverting, although not brilliant, film.
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