have borrow this movie from the local library a couple of week ago intend to originally see this on or a few day after memorial day and i finally get to see sayonara just this morning . in this one marlon brando play major lloyd ace gruver and a general son who be raise a certain way and be transfer from korea to japan where his girlfriend eileen webster ( patricia owen ) conveniently happen to be . before leave and he try to persuade one of his men and a joe kelly ( red button ) and out of marry japanese woman katsumi ( miyoshi umeki ) since that a violation of military fraternization law . with the romance of him and eileen on the out and however and ace not only become the best man at joe and katsumi wedding and he fall for an asian himself after he and captain mike bailey ( james garner ) go out on the town and watch headlining entertainer hana ogi ( miiko taka ) on stage . bailey himself be date one of the dancer and fumiko san ( reiko kuba ) . eileen herself seem to have a fancy for one of the kabuki performer and nakamura ( ricardo montalban ) . i will stop right there and say that this be a mostly compelling drama about the prejudice concern american asian relation of romance that be very touch from begin to end . even see hispanic montalban play an oriental isn not too embarrassing ( though it a good thing his part be short ) . and there some nice touch of humor like that of brando head hit the top of button and umeki inside doorway more than once . red and miyoshi themselves deserve their oscar especially red with his defiant and proud emotion throughout . rookie garner and before be cast in his legendary role on tv marverick and be fine in his scene with brando and miiko taka show great restraint in her initial characterization a an anti american . while i have read there be some change from james michener novel and i can not imagine director josha logan and who have previously adopt another michener work into the broadway musical south pacific and would eventually make that into a movie as well and not stay true to the original source . he certainly provide some inspiration with the end scene that make the heartbreaking earlier tragedy in the film a somewhat necessary plot twist . some of the production number may have make the movie a little longish but otherwise and sayonara be wonderful educational experience about the 50 more that permeate america and japan at the time .