Go for Broke! (1951)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Robert Pirosh

Writer:

Robert Pirosh (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

The story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese American | Battle | Italy | France | Training

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Van Johnson	...	Lt. Michael Grayson
Lane Nakano	...	Sam
George Miki	...	Chick
Akira Fukunaga	...	Frank
Ken K. Okamoto	...	Kaz
Henry Oyasato	...	Ohhara
Harry Hamada	...	Masami
Henry Nakamura	...	Tommy
Warner Anderson	...	Col. Charles W. Pence
Don Haggerty	...	Sgt. Wilson I. Culley
Gianna Maria Canale	...	Rosina (as Gianna Canale)
Dan Riss	...	Capt. Solari

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #15001) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Idyllwild, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Several of the main characters were played by actual members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team depicted in the film. The men saw action with the outfit in Italy and France.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While Lt Grayson is observing his troops running the obstacle course during training, there is a pouch for two .45-caliber pistol magazines on his belt. Yet he is not carrying a pistol or any other weapon.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Japanese-American Soldier: Kanakas. The ones from Hawaii. You know what they call us mainlanders? Kotonks. The way they tell it if you rap on our heads it's like hitting a coconut. Hollow heads, you know? Kotonk, kotonk, kotonk.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Poltergeist (1982)

Soundtrack:

The Meaning of Love

Rings true

Most people know about the imprisonment of many Japanese Americans in camps during World War II, however, relatively few know the history of involvement by Japanese Americans in World War II. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was sanctioned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and consisted of Japanese American volunteers. These faithful Americans came to the military for many different reasons, and this film does a wonderful job of illustrating the diversity within the team as well as their courageous dedication to service despite the adverse conditions they and their families faced in an America at war with their ancestral homeland.

This adversity is personified in the character of Lieutenant Grayson (Van Johnson) - a tall, blond, Texan with a bad attitude about working with what he calls "Japs". Though Grayson's story arc is not really very surprising, it is thoroughly believable. The excellent Oscar-nominated Robert Porash script, solid editing and directing, and Johnson's nice performance make his portrayal of the archetypal understated Texan quite excellent. I can say this because I am a Texas-ex - though you never really get the place out of your heart.

For once, the minority is less stereotyped than the Northern European-American males! The Japanese-American actors are all excellent, and are the real stars of this film.

I agree with the vast majority of reviews published here on IMDb about this significant and entertaining film. Go For Broke is a war film which very nicely explores human behavior, American social reality and ethics but also commemorates and celebrates the triumph of humanity in adverse situations.

Recommended!