Rent Emperor (2012)
3.3 of 5 from 91 ratings
1h 42min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- A gripping tale of love and honour forged between fierce enemies of war, Emperor unfolds the story, inspired by true events, of the bold and secret moves that won the peace in the shadows of post-war Japan. Matthew Fox joins with Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune and Toshiyuki Nishida to bring to life the American occupation of Japan in the perilous and unpredictable days just after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender.
- Actors:
- Matthew Fox, Colin Moy, Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune, Toshiyuki Nishida, Masayoshi Haneda, Kaori Momoi, Masatoshi Nakamura, Masatô Ibu, Isao Natsuyagi, Takatarô Kataoka, Aaron Jackson, Nic Sampson, Shôhei Hino, Will Wallace, Kelson Henderson, Stephen Papps, Shingo Usami, Takanori Higuchi, Ingrid Park
- Directors:
- Peter Webber
- Producers:
- Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff, Yôko Narahashi, Eugene Nomura
- Writers:
- Vera Blasi, David Klass
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 09/02/2014
- Run Time:
- 106 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (2) of Emperor
Emperor - If you are looking for a film with a sense of realism, give this one a go - Emperor review by CP Customer
Matthew Fox,Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune and Toshiyuki Nishida all perform admirably in this film, portraying their characters with thought and professionalism. This film is not one for those looking for just another war type film because if anything it is anti-war in its portrayal of the ramifications of going to war both for the people of the nation doing so and for those taking a nation into it.
If you are looking for a film with a sense of realism, attempting to show a time in history then give this one a go. If you are looking for a shoot 'em' up action sequences, this movie is not for you.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Dull fact based bipac which lacks drama - Emperor review by Sandy
The film follows General Fellers around as he attempt to investigate the Japanese Emperor's role in the second world war, and find out what happened to his girlfriend who disappeared at the outbreak of war.
The film is rather listless - Tommy Lee Jones steals the movie playing General McArthur, and you almost get the feeling that the movie should have been about him - and been a better movie for it.
Instead we are stuck with Fellers, who broods over his typewriter revealing his thought processes and a rather lacklustre investigation where he goes round and visits various Japanese officials and has conversations with them, which prove to be about as dramatic as watching paint dry.
Yes, this is a movie based on historic events, and maybe that's the problem. It reveals details of the Japanese surrender and the role of the occupational forces, but it really doesn't engage the viewer much. Lots of pretty scenery and costumes - but with a lacklustre story that seems to almost be forgotten at times.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Emperor review by George Hooper - Cinema Paradiso
There seems to be a Japanese trend going around Hollywood with this years The Wolverine also deciphering Japanese heritage (albeit not very well) for the sake of a good story. Emperor however excels at using Japanese culture to form a taut political picture showing the folly of both Japan and America during the Second World War.
Following Japanese surrender, General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) is sent to Japan to conduct an investigation into the Emperor of Japan with the ultimate decision of whether or not he be tried for war crimes resting right in his lap. However the film follows General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox), the investigations lead investigator, a conflicted man whose experience with Japan before the war proves essential to finding a solution.
While the film does feel ever so slightly biased, Emperor is a historically relevant thriller with a good sense of moral ambiguity, a slow burning detective story into the destruction of a country and the collateral damage all around. Vera Blasi and David Klass’ script brings colour to this dreary tale bringing beauty and devastation out in a single image.
Director Peter Webber tells a convincing love story inside a political thriller with ease, never mixing the two up while marrying them into a bigger story, the story of Japanese reawakening and journey to repair.
Fox is excellent as Fellers, A tortured man failing to get past something from his past and Jones is always good when he gets to play the grouch and MacArthur, a true politician in Army uniform can be vindictive when he needs to be. However the real scene stealer is Japan itself, a place of harmony in flashbacks and one of destruction and fear years later. It’s really a film about look and feel, a vision of Japan and Fellers at their best and their worst.