Sayonara is a 1957 color (Technicolor) American film starring Marlon Brando. It tells the story of an American Air Force flier who was an “ace” fighter pilot during the Korean War.
Sayonara won four Academy Awards, including acting honors for co-stars Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki.
The film’s screenplay was adapted by Paul Osborn from the novel by James Michener, and it was produced by William Goetz and directed by Joshua Logan. Unlike most 1950s romantic dramas, Sayonara deals squarely with racism and prejudice.
Lloyd “Ace” Gruver, a major and the son of a U.S. Army general, is stationed at Itami Air Force Base (now Osaka International Airport) near Kobe, Japan. He falls in love with a Japanese entertainer (Hana-ogi) who is a performer for a Takarazuka-like theater company, whom he meets through his enlisted crew chief, Airman Kelly.
Kelly is about to wed a Japanese woman, Katsumi, in spite of the disapproval of the United States military, which will not recognize the marriage. The Air Force, including Gruver, is against the marriage. Gruver and Kelly have an argument during which Gruver uses a racial slur to describe Kelly’s fiancee. Gruver eventually apologizes, then agrees to be Kelly’s best man at the wedding.
Kelly suffers further prejudice at the hands of a particularly nasty colonel, pulling extra duty and all the less-attractive assignments. When he and many others who are married to Japanese are ordered back to the States, Kelly realizes he will not be able to take his wife, who is now pregnant.
Finding no other way to be together, Kelly and Katsumi commit double suicide. This strengthens Major Gruver’s resolve to marry his own Japanese lover. When asked by a Stars and Stripes reporter what will he say to both the “big brass” as well as to the Japanese, neither of which will be particularly happy, Major Gruver says, “Tell ’em we said ‘Sayonara.'”
The ending in the movie, however, differs from that of the book, in which Gruver says “sayonara” to his Japanese girlfriend and returns to the States.
By 梅木美代志 Miyoshi Umeki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F8UktuZJ5U
Lyrics
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Sayonara, Japanese, goodbye Whisper sayonara But you mustn’t cry No more we stop to see pretty cherry blossoms No more we ‘neath the tree looking at the sky Sayonara, sayonara, goodbye
Sayonara, if it must be so Whisper sayonara Smiling as we go No more we stop to see pretty cherry blossoms No more we ‘neath the tree looking at the sky Sayonara, sayonara, goodbye |
莎喲娜啦！日本人，再見了 輕聲說著：莎喲娜啦！ 但你不許哭 我們再也不能駐足欣賞美麗的櫻花盛開 再也不能站在樹下仰望藍天 莎喲娜啦！莎喲娜啦！再見了！
莎喲娜啦！如果非得如此不可 輕聲說著：莎喲娜啦！ 當我們離去時，請你微笑 我們再也不能駐足欣賞美麗的櫻花盛開 再也不能站在樹下仰望藍天 莎喲娜啦！莎喲娜啦！再見了！ |