{"id":5905,"date":"2009-05-21T11:07:31","date_gmt":"2009-05-21T18:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5905"},"modified":"2020-11-26T11:45:06","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T18:45:06","slug":"anatahan-1953","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5905","title":{"rendered":"Anatahan (1953)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Nothing that happens to another human being is alien to us: there, but for the grace of God, go I.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster-201x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-55070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster-201x300.png 201w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster-685x1024.png 685w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster-86x128.png 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster-181x270.png 181w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Poster.png 747w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nDuring WWII, a group of shipwrecked Japanese sailors land on the rocky island of Anatahan, where they encounter a man (Tadashi Suganuma) and his common-law wife (Akemi Negishi) living in a shack. Over the next seven years, the men compete for Negishi&#8217;s attentions while hoping to hear news of Japan&#8217;s victory in the war.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deserted Island<\/li>\n<li>Femmes Fatales<\/li>\n<li>Japanese Films<\/li>\n<li>Josef von Sternberg Films<\/li>\n<li>Rivalry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWhen Howard Hughes forced him off the set of his final two films in Hollywood, Josef von Sternberg accepted an invitation to direct a film in Japan; the result is this &#8220;curio&#8221;, a commercially unsuccessful hybrid movie which has since been recognized as a most unusual and provocative cinematic experiment, and was certainly a personal triumph for von Sternberg at the end of his illustrious career. As noted in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.siffblog.com\/reviews\/opulent_and_radiant_004888.html\">Kathy Fennessey&#8217;s Siffblog review<\/a>, <em>Anatahan<\/em> &#8220;plays like a cross between <em>Woman in the Dunes<\/em>, <em>Underground<\/em>, <em>Letters From Iwo Jima<\/em>, and ABC&#8217;s <em>Lost<\/em>&#8221; (and, I would add, a dose of Laurel and Hardy&#8217;s <em>Block-Heads<\/em> as well) &#8212; a potent mix to be sure. <\/p>\n<p>With <em>Anatahan<\/em>, von Sternberg very intentionally broke all the &#8220;rules&#8221; one might expect from a wartime film based on a real-life historical event: he utilized a Kyoto sound stage rather than an actual island, cast Kabuki actors rather than cinematic stars, and implemented a voice-of-God narration over unsubtitled Japanese &#8212; all in an effort to create a highly stylized allegory of rivalry and desire. Trapped on an island with only one woman, and patriotically bound to stay put rather than allow themselves to be captured by the enemy, the deluded soldiers&#8217; most basic impulses come into play; they ultimately represent a microcosm of society at its most primitive. Meanwhile, we&#8217;re seduced by the beauty of von Sternberg&#8217;s unearthly imagery; although he famously said, &#8220;I care nothing about the story, only how it is photographed and presented&#8221;, <em>Anatahan<\/em> proves that von Sternberg was entirely capable of marrying the two. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Akemi Negishi as the Queen Bee<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-1024x624.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-1024x624.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-768x468.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-1536x935.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1-443x270.png 443w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1.png 1683w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Effective use of stylized, claustrophobic sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1024x627.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"392\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55072\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1024x627.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-768x470.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-1536x941.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi-441x270.png 441w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Negishi.png 1657w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A fascinating tale of rivalry and survival<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-1024x632.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"395\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-1024x632.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-128x79.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-768x474.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-1536x948.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2-437x270.png 437w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Rivalry2.png 1651w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Von Sternberg&#8217;s striking cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-1024x650.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"406\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55075\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-1024x650.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-128x81.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-768x488.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-1536x976.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography-425x270.png 425w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Anatahan-Cinematography.png 1617w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Akira Ifukube&#8217;s haunting score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an undeniably unique entry in von Sternberg&#8217;s late-life career. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#director\">Important Director<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0046712\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1954\/05\/18\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-anatahan-filmed-in-japan-at-the-plaza.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Nothing that happens to another human being is alien to us: there, but for the grace of God, go I.&#8221; Synopsis: During WWII, a group of shipwrecked Japanese sailors land on the rocky island of Anatahan, where they encounter a man (Tadashi Suganuma) and his common-law wife (Akemi Negishi) living in a shack. Over the next seven years, the men compete for Negishi&#8217;s attentions while hoping to hear news of Japan&#8217;s victory in the war. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5905\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5905"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55078,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5905\/revisions\/55078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}