The Teahouse of the August Moon (1957)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Don't Believe the Hype

The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a creepy and unfunny movie. Marlon Brando is at his hammy worst. Paul Ford barely bothers to make facial expressions. Glenn Ford is game, and Eddie Albert does what he can. But mostly I spent the movie cringing at the horrible script and Brando's repulsive yellow-face performance.I wonder what this movie looked like back in the 1950's when it was made. It was shortly after the end of World War II. Perhaps it was intended as a way to humanize the Japanese (by having a non-Japanese give a clichéd and hackneyed performance in bad makeup). Maybe this movie wasn't as creepy back then. I'm at a loss as to why anyone would consider it to be tolerable now.

I saw Teahouse fifty years ago when it first came out, and the memory of my enjoyment stayed with me through the years. Every now and then I would wonder if it really was as good as I remembered. I finally rented the video to find out, and I enjoyed it far more this time than as a 14-year old. Glenn Ford's warmth and wisdom renewed my appreciation for his greatness as an actor. I again also marveled at how Marlon Brando became Sakini again before my very eyes. I was sure he couldn't fool me this time, that this time I would scoff at Brando as as Okianwan, but immediately he won me over.This was a very insightful and entertaining movie, made just over ten years after the end of the war, and with the Korean War truce just a couple of years old.

I've known that there was a film with the title "The Teahouse of the August Moon" for years but never had any interest in viewing it. I probably had it confused with "Sayonara", Marlon Brando's other post WWII Japan film. And there was never any reason to suspect that it was anything but a light comedy, as it was based on a stage play.But it turns out that rather than just a comedy, it is more like a subtly subversive satire on America's staggering conceit as a righteous force of change in the world. How they managed to convince the studio and the public that it was just a harmless little comedy would make a great story itself, considering that it was made during the blacklist days of red-baiting and mega paranoia. My guess is that its patronizing portrayal of Japanese culture, and its characterization of the Okinawans as simple childlike islanders provided sufficient misdirection to throw our guardians off the scent. Hollywood was pretty good at slipping stuff like this into the mainstream, where the actual nature of the satire was only apparent to the most discerning viewers.As others have noted, the film's message is actually more relevant today than at the time of its release; what with America's botched meddling in Viet Nam, Lebanon, Somalia, and Iraq. As "The Teahouse of the August Moon" illustrates, there seems to be a national compulsion to change the world and a chronic failure to realistically evaluate the complexities of these little adventures.On the flip side, many of those who attack the film as racist are also critical of "Eurotrip" for its stereotyped portrayal of Europe; failing to recognize that the target of both films is America and its simplistic view of the rest of the world.Anyway, "Teahouse" takes place shortly after the end of WWII as Captain Fisby, a Army Civil Affairs officer (Glenn Ford), is detailed to an Okinawan village to teach the natives about "democracy". His most important task is to construct a "pentagon" shaped school for the children. But with the arrival of a Geisha named Lotus Blossom (Machiko Kyo) the villagers decide that a teahouse (basically a copy of the Geisha houses they have heard about in the cities) should be built instead. When it appears that Fisby has become too acclimated to the native culture, his commanding officer sends a psychiatrist (Eddie Albert) to the village to evaluate his fitness for duty. Albert is soon co-opted and stays on in the village indulging his fantasy of running a farm. Marlon Brando plays a native interpreter and carries it off quite nicely, in fact the whole cast is solid with Kyo unexpectedly effective and very charming. Speaking only Japanese (and without subtitles), her performance is similar to some of the best silent film stuff. Although Brando translates her more important lines for Fisby (and for the audience) her nonverbal performance communicates so much that you are rarely even aware of the language gap. Brando does a nice commentary to begin and end the film. While "Teahouse" is hardly Oscar material it is entertaining and of considerable historical/ cultural interest.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I am amazed about some of the other comments here. This is a hilarious movie!! Brando was great . . . no doubt. Some people say that this was an example of awful casting but I read somewhere that Brando saw the play and just loved it. He pushed for the movie to be made and insisted that he be given the role of "Sakini" so it was Brando himself who did that casting! I just laughed out loud at many scenes in this movie. The initial meeting of Capt. Fisby (the amazing Glenn Ford) and Col. Purdy (the perfect Paul Ford) is GREAT! Also, the "wrestling match" between the Captain and his geisha is hysterical. This movie IS a classic! It is one of my favorites because of the great writing and the wonderful acting. Glenn Ford is ALWAYS good and this one is no different. He IS Capt. Fisby and he is hilarious!! I've seen this movie many times and I know I will still watch it any time that it is on.Enjoy!