7/10
Stranger in a foreign land...
14 December 2006
The Japanese War Bride (Yamaguchi) marries handsome American Lt. Sterling (Taylor) who takes her to California where she is met with American rudeness, resentment, contempt and outright dislike by his family and friends. She does everything she possibly can to please them and fit in but can't break their rigid barriers. Every character is so well acted, even the unlikable ones, that the discomfort and eventual pain and anguish are very credible as they develop to a crisis leading to the estrangement of the earnest, loving Lt. from his family and property. His lovely wife blames herself for all their problems and this drives a wedge between them. Will he lose the woman he loves so much, as well as his infant son? Viewers will relate to these ordinary Americans and their difficulty in dealing with situations outside of their norm. Beautifully understated but effectively eloquent, this neglected film gem still has as much to say now as it did in 1952. Don't miss this one...Shirley Yamaguchi's and Don Taylor's excellent performances will leave a lasting impression.
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