What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Wally_Hood]

Emperor, with Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox.

 

[Fading Fast]

Emperor, with Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox.

Hi, check out my comments on Emperor on page 1435 (on 8/18) - what did you think of the movie?

 

[Formeruser012523]

The Producers.

lol

 

[HoosierDaddy]

'Scar Face' last night. Still good..!
HD

 

[DavidJones]

"Dredd" on Netflix. Pretty good shoot em up.

 

[Wally_Hood]

Hi, check out my comments on Emperor on page 1435 (on 8/18) - what did you think of the movie?

Actually, because of your comments I watched it with the wife; she said she originally thought, Oh, no, another war movie, but was drawn into the story. The historical part was interesting, but took cinematic liberties with facts in order to tell a story. My degree in college was East Asian Studies, so I've read a little bit about the history of Japan. I think the emperor had become pretty much a symbolic figurehead under the control of the militarists. They manipulated the Japanese people through him. To try him for war crimes, when the generals and the government were planning and carrying out the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, military domination of neighboring countries, and plotting the attack on Pearl Harbor, would have been wrong. Hirohito was pretty much at their mercy; he "ruled" only so far as it furthered the ends of the militarists.

 

[Maltese]

Blitz

 

[Maltese]

The 1982 version of Conan the Barbarian on Blu ray. Great sound track and it made a star out of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

such a kick a** movie

 

[Fading Fast]

Actually, because of your comments I watched it with the wife; she said she originally thought, Oh, no, another war movie, but was drawn into the story. The historical part was interesting, but took cinematic liberties with facts in order to tell a story. My degree in college was East Asian Studies, so I've read a little bit about the history of Japan. I think the emperor had become pretty much a symbolic figurehead under the control of the militarists. They manipulated the Japanese people through him. To try him for war crimes, when the generals and the government were planning and carrying out the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, military domination of neighboring countries, and plotting the attack on Pearl Harbor, would have been wrong. Hirohito was pretty much at their mercy; he "ruled" only so far as it furthered the ends of the militarists.

Thank you for the added historical information, which supports MacArthur's decision. I'm glad my comments piqued your interest and glad your wife enjoyed what was not another war movie.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Cry Danger.
Really a good movie.

 

[jamespowers]

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Friendly Persuasion..Gary Cooper
Great movie. Hadn't seen it since I was a kid.

 

[Stearmen]

Actually, because of your comments I watched it with the wife; she said she originally thought, Oh, no, another war movie, but was drawn into the story. The historical part was interesting, but took cinematic liberties with facts in order to tell a story. My degree in college was East Asian Studies, so I've read a little bit about the history of Japan. I think the emperor had become pretty much a symbolic figurehead under the control of the militarists. They manipulated the Japanese people through him. To try him for war crimes, when the generals and the government were planning and carrying out the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, military domination of neighboring countries, and plotting the attack on Pearl Harbor, would have been wrong. Hirohito was pretty much at their mercy; he "ruled" only so far as it furthered the ends of the militarists.

Thats a bit of an old wives tale. Hirohito gave the final green light to go to war and he gave the final decision to surrender. He had one condition, that the declaration did not compromise any demand which prejudiced the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler. In other words, he would let his people continue to die if he was not guaranteed to live. I have zero respect for the man because of that decision!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Planes, Trains & Automobiles -- I had completely forgotten Steve Martin's fedora.

 

[jamespowers]

Thats a bit of an old wives tale. Hirohito gave the final green light to go to war and he gave the final decision to surrender. He had one condition, that the declaration did not compromise any demand which prejudiced the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler. In other words, he would let his people continue to die if he was not guaranteed to live. I have zero respect for the man because of that decision!

If you think Hirohito ruled without opposition then you need to read Nomonhan 1939. Japanese military leaders either directly disobeyed orders or pretended they never got the orders and did what they wanted. They even had an accepted term for it. You have to view the entire war in its global context. Hirohito was no Stalin. He didn't kill those who disobeyed or even those who failed.

 

[jamespowers]

Every father of a teenage girl needs to see this. Uncle Buck knew how to take care of business.

 

[Wally_Hood]

If you think Hirohito ruled without opposition then you need to read Nomonhan 1939. Japanese military leaders either directly disobeyed orders or pretended they never got the orders and did what they wanted. They even had an accepted term for it. You have to view the entire war in its global context. Hirohito was no Stalin. He didn't kill those who disobeyed or even those who failed.

Not to create a ruckus on a normally personable and congenial thread, but my understanding of the real extent of the emperor's power was that it was virtually non-existent by the decade leading up to World War Two. As JP pointed out, there were military leaders who disregarded orders that did not suit their plans of expansion. I personally believe, based upon a limited reading of history and culture, that the militarists disrespected the emperor and were not in agreement with the wide-spread belief of his divinity.

The single greatest example of this is when in response to a statement by Hirohito, one of the leaders referred to the emperor as "tenno-chan"; tenno is the Japanese word for emperor, especially as relates to the god-like part of his identity; chan is a suffix for the diminutive, sort of like adding -ito onto a Spanish name (Carlos= Carlito; Pablo = Pablito). In essence the supposedly absolute leader was dismissed as "emperor-kid" by the real wielders of power. To the mindset of a Showa-era Japanese this would the equivalent of blasphemy.

Again, this is based on my reading of history; others may, and probably have, greater depth of knowledge than I.

 

[Wally_Hood]

After all that... we watched Babyface (1933) with Barbara Stanwycke, George Brent, and about ten spots down on the credits a young John Wayne. Then, an episode of 77 Sunset Strip, followed by a snippet of Hawaiian Eye.

 

[Fading Fast]

After all that... we watched Babyface (1933) with Barbara Stanwycke, George Brent, and about ten spots down on the credits a young John Wayne. Then, an episode of 77 Sunset Strip, followed by a snippet of Hawaiian Eye.

Barbara Stanwyck is one of the gems of the Golden Era. Under-rated today as she normally doesn't pop up on the lists of 30s/40s big stars, but she was at the time and, IMHO, had that natural comfort in front of the camera that Spencer Tracy had. Others, like Cary Grant or Katherine Hepburn were "big stars:" incredible talents, but they dominated the screen with their outsized presence, looks and power. They were great actors, but personalities that said look at me, I'm a star (not a criticism, as it was just the way their natural talent came forth). But Stanwyck, like Tracy, sat back, quietly acted without appearing to act at all - it was as if they were the character they played, without trying. Well past her movie heyday, Barbara Stanwyck popped up in a 1960s TV Western, "The Big Valley" and showed what a true talent can do with mediocre material: despite stilted dialogue, cookie cutter plots and cheesy sets, she shined through - she gave gravitas, believability and empathy to a, basically, two dimensional show. That's what a true actor can do.

 

[Stearmen]

If you think Hirohito ruled without opposition then you need to read Nomonhan 1939. Japanese military leaders either directly disobeyed orders or pretended they never got the orders and did what they wanted. They even had an accepted term for it. You have to view the entire war in its global context. Hirohito was no Stalin. He didn't kill those who disobeyed or even those who failed.

True, he did not have much power, but the fact is, Japan did not surrender until the Emperor told the people to. If he had not made his famous surrender speach, Japan would have kept fighting to the last person! Members of the military knew this, and tried to stop him. There was a fascinating documentary on this, it was actually one of the last B-29 raids, that set off a chain of events that saved Hirohito. Also, our leaders new that he had to stay alive to stop the killing. His symbolic leadership, gave us the peaceful transition, since many still thought he was a god.