Overview
A love story that transcends borders and prejudices unfolds in post-war Japan.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- earnest
- poignant
- melodramatic
- classic film night
- historical romance viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the touching cross-cultural story, writing, cinematography, and cast while finding the lengthy presentation ponderous.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Major Gruver and American servicemen become involved with Japanese women despite military and social prohibitions.
The U.S. Air Force opposes marriages between American troops and Japanese women, placing private love in conflict with military authority.
The film foregrounds postwar Japanese settings, costumes, and Kabuki performance through elaborate studio production.
Gruver's reassignment to Japan forces his assumptions about Japanese women and relationships into direct conflict with local taboos.
Films like Sayonara, and why
The Crimson Kimono
interracial romance confronting military and social prejudice in postwar Asia, with a serious period-drama tone
The King and I
classic Hollywood romance using cross-cultural relationships to challenge racial assumptions and social convention
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
melodramatic interracial love story shaped by institutional racism and restrictive social norms
Movie Details
- Director
- Joshua Logan
- Release Date
- 1957-12-25
- Runtime
- 147 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (150)
Cast
- Marlon Brando
- Patricia Owens
- James Garner
- Martha Scott
- Miiko Taka
- Miyoshi Umeki
- Red Buttons
- Kent Smith
- Douglass Watson
- Reiko Kuba
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, TCM
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sayonara about?
- A decorated American pilot in postwar Japan must confront military prejudice when love makes the culture he once dismissed impossible to ignore.
- What is Sayonara like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sayonara as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sayonara violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Sayonara.
- What did critics think of Sayonara?
- Critics broadly praised the touching cross-cultural story, writing, cinematography, and cast while finding the lengthy presentation ponderous.
- Which films are like Sayonara?
- Films with a similar feel include The Crimson Kimono, The King and I, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
- How long is Sayonara?
- Sayonara runs 147 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sayonara?
- In United States, Sayonara streams on YouTube TV, TCM.
