Go For Broke DVD with Van Johnson, Lane Nakano, George Miki (NR) +Movie Reviews

From a Sansei's Point of View

Akira Umemoto | Redondo Beach, CA USA | 04/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a third generation Japanese-American (Sansei), and having my parents interned in the camps, this movie has a special place in my heart. Robert Pirosh did an incredible job in getting so much information about the Japanese- American situation: the camps, the differences between the Hawaiian and State- side Japanese (Kotonks and Kanakas), the different views of the war and even using a Japanese curse word as a password! I was so impressed and pleased with the results.The movie follows the exploits of the 442, the first all-Nisei (Japanese- American) Regimental combat team in WWII. In early 1942, all the Japanese- Americans in California, Seattle, Oregon and Hawaii were uprooted from their homes and put into camps. All the volunteers were from the 10 internment camps throughout the western states. They felt that this was the only way to prove to the U. S. that they were as patriotic as anybody else, in fact most of them were American Citizens! Since they had nothing to lose, but their lives, their motto was "GO FOR BROKE!" and that's what they did. They are today the most decorated battalion in the history of the U.S. military and proved something that they shouldn't have to be proved, that they were Americans!Van Johnson is used as the "white man" foil, to show how the rest of the country looked at the Japanese-American, and he does a great job. He starts off as a bigot, but as he begins to understand and respect his troops, he becomes one of them. There's a funny scene where one of his men call him "BAKATARE", which is a curse word close to "Damn, stupid...." and tells him that the soldier is being very polite, he's bowing as he says this. This film has everything: humor, action, great characters and... truth!"

Go For Broke!

BKO | San Jose, CA | 05/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the only films to focus in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It shows the courage of the Japanese-Americans who fought against the Germans during World War II while their families were still imprisoned in the United States. A favorite of my grandfather, a member of the 442nd."

A classic

Akira Umemoto | 02/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THis movie portarayed one of the most decorrated U.S Army regiment in WWII. Despite all their hardship and racism, the Japanese American refected their heroism in combat in the Europian theaters. THere won't be any snoozee messages in this flicks, just the stories as the men of the 442nd told them."

A Unique Heartfelt Story.

Steve Guardala | ????? | 02/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This highly underrated film should be required viewing for any high school & University student. This film shows the two sides of the coin of life. Life is neither heads or tails, it is both. The film is about the US 442nd regiment combat team in WW2. The Japanese-American platoon had to fight both the Germans & the racial prejidices of their fellow GI's. Lieutenant Mike Grayson-Van Johnson trains the men, but does so very unwillingly. Soon during their campaigns in Italy & France in 1943-44, he develops a great admiration for the Japanese-Americans. The depth of their sacrifice & heroic strength-"Go For Broke motto," prove to him that they are both great soldiers & Americans.

To the present day they remain the most decorated unit in the history of the US military. The acting by all was good throughout. The only negatives of the film are that the battle scenes seem somewhat unrealistic & it could have been a bit longer."

Go for Broke

Steven Hellerstedt | 07/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"GO FOR BROKE! (1951) is a typical war movie in many respects. It chronicles the story of one regiment - the U.S. 442nd Regimental Combat Team - from its formation in 1943, through boot camp and finally to the battlefields of Italy and France. The twist is that the regiment is comprised of Japanese-American volunteers, Nisei, or second-generation Japanese-Americans. The men are commanded by a typically (for the day) prejudiced soldier, Lt. Mike Grayson (Van Johnson).

Anyone familiar with combat war movies will find the familiar in GO FOR BROKE! The unit goes from green and raw to tough and cohesive. They adopt a pet (a pig, in this case), distribute k-rations to the hungry citizens of liberated towns and cluster around for mail call. The difference is that children seem a little fearful of the foreign looking foreigners, and many of the letters from home are written from internment camps. The movie dedicates itself to proving the regiment's prowess as soldiers and showing how Grayson's prejudice slowly erodes as his respect for his men grow.

GO FOR BROKE! opens with an except from a proclamation from President Roosevelt announcing the formation of the 442nd - "Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ancestry." Featuring many 442nd veterans in the movie it has a layer of reality that most war movies lack, and it doesn't flinch from displaying the bitterness felt by some of the soldiers. In many ways it's similar to the Civil War movie GLORY, the movie about the Massachusetts 54th Colored Regiment starring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. The production values aren't as high in this one, although the combat sequences are well done, and the acting talents isn't nearly of the caliber of GLORY, but GO FOR BROKE! touches the same themes, and GLORY can't touch the verisimilitude GO FOR BROKE! and its army veteran actors achieve. The Pro-Active dvd I'm reviewing is a bit washed out but otherwise in good shape. There's no extras on the disk, but it's so inexpensive extras might have made me feel guilty. Highly recommended, especially for war movie fans.

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