Only the Brave

"Only the Brave" told the story of an aspect of World War II that I had no idea ever happened. And I can't claim to even remotely have heard about this particular unit in the US army. And as such, then this movie really had an impact on me and my understanding of World War II. This truly was the tale of forgotten heroes in World War II, and it is a movie that should be seen by anyone who has an interest in the events of World War II. The story told in "Only the Brave" is about the 100th/442nd infantry battalion in the American army; a battalion which were Japanese-American soldiers. This battalion had to prove their worth in the African, Italian and France campaigns of World War II. I will say that the story was nicely told, with a good amount of action, but also with a fair amount of character development and some nice and touching moments for some of the characters when they were reminiscing or during their final moments. The action scenes were nicely shot and nicely choreographed; as it was like you were there in the action yourself. As for the cast list, there is just one word necessary - wow! It was truly a spectacular ensemble of actors that they had cast for the various roles in this movie. And people did great jobs with their given roles, both soldier and civilian roles alike. "Only the Brave" really blindsided me and genuinely surprised me in a way I had never seen coming. This is one of the more remarkable and memorable World War II movies that I have come across, and I can only warmly recommend that you watch this movie.

I really wanted to like this movie, even though seeing the bad reviews and grades, but I'm sorry to say I just couldn't. Already in the first scene,(incense and cultural clichés accompanied by ramblings), I was thinking "Nooo". Cheesy and conceited were adjectives that came to mind... I'm very interested in military history, especially WWII. I have my roots in Finland, and therefore I have the same relationship to Finnish movies about the Winter war and Continuation war (btw something to take a look at for anyone interested in WWII, to see some of the least discussed but most astonishing military wonders of all times - a tiny Little poorly equipped army in a tiny little country, literally crushing the USSR Bear), as I suppose Asian Americans have to this movie, since it portrays a part of the US Army which seldom have gotten any recognition for their efforts and sacrifice. (Also see "Days of glory", a rather good movie about the Algerian French soldiers in the French army during WWII - Another "forgotten" Group). I also have a great interest and fair insight into different Asian cultures due to both personal interest and having several Asian in-laws in the family. Also, some of the areas in WWII history, which I have spent the most time on, are the affairs in Asia and the Pacific. So the genuine interest is there, and also a good insight and knowledge of actual history. Still, I have to practically force myself through this syrupy mess... The degree of melodrama, over acting and oh-it's-so-sad, is so extensive that it makes me queasy. Everything is shoved in the face of the viewer, in a pathetically naïve way, leaving no room for any thought or reflexion. Nothing is subtle nor actually touching, since the director has drenched it all in banality and cheap clichés. The acting is horrible and over dramatic overall, and leaves one with an uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment on the behalf of both the actors and the characters. They are all flat and one-dimensional, delivering predictable portraits with no depth. I would even say that the characters, in a way, mock and ridicule Asian Americans, and place the whole group in an old and clichéd POV. Which is both sad and frustrating. The depiction of battle and warfare is badly acted, but mainly badly planned and executed by the director, giving an air of boys playing war at a paint-ball field, rather than actually being at the western front. Low budget is not an excuse since many movies pull it off anyway. The script is annoying in it's throws hence and forth, and in it's lack of continuity and a red thread. The scenes don't drive the story forwards, but just seem random and confused. Dialogue is mostly bad. Overall, this movie is a crappy mess with not much good to be said about. And that's irritating since this forgotten part of WWII-history is a very interesting one, and a movie made by a good director, with a good script and screenplay, with good actors, could have made it a see worthy pearl of a flick, instead of a pathetic puddle of syrup. :( I can't even recommend it to anyone except maybe descendants of the Asian American soldiers from the US troops of WWII. I think they could have some kind of benefit from this Movie, otherwise, it's mostly a waste of time. See something good instead. Sad to say, because I so much would have wanted to like this. But Lane Nishikawa kind of fu*ed up. Seriously badly so.

I gave one, cos of the effort, but that's about it. I seen many movies of war, been in it as well. The story is worth telling. But in the hands of any other director. Acting was pale, action was boring, and flashbacks were just waste of budged money of the movie. I was half way through, and bored out of my mind, I was fast forwarding the movie, hoping to see some action, that simply was not there. This story should be retold, by another more competent director. It is also not clear, where exactly they are, the only thing that it was told, was that they are saving some other American unit. No historical background, that would put them in the tactical picture, of where they are, what their mission was. As of Germans, we could not see them at all, all we could see, were those "soldiers" firing in to the forest.

On December 7 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy raided Hawaii's Pearl Harbor and decimated the United States Navy's Pacific battleships. Two months later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, permitting the U.S. military to uproot thousands of West Coast Japanese and Japanese-Americans and ship them to inland interment camps. In February of 1943, the ban on Japanese in the military was lifted and the 100th Battalion 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed. Containing Japanese-American volunteers from Hawaii and, remarkably, from out of the mainland interment camps, the 100th/442nd was sent to Europe. "Only The Brave" is a fictionalized account of the 100th/442nd's most famous success: the October 1944 rescue of the "Lost Battalion", the all-white "Texas" 141st, trapped behind enemy lines deep within the Vosges Mountains of France. The movie opens during the battle for the town of Bruyeres, France. After a receiving a head wound, Sergeant Jimmy Takata (played by the film's writer and director, Lane Nishikawa) begins to "see" the memories of his dying troops. As they die, Takata also becomes a walking repository of their mementos: a signature pair of eyeglasses, a photograph of children, an engagement ring never given. Through the Bruyeres battle and the five bloody days of desperate fighting it takes to break through the German line and rescue the 141st, Nishikawa uses Sergeant Takata as a metaphor for the quiet and proud generation of Japanese-Americans who endured life in the relocation camps, who fought in battle and who kept up the home front, but who have mostly held onto their stories. Nishikawa's moral is an old one: the release of the past brings healing for the future, but it is especially poignant given that so few of that generation remain. Working with a limited budget and an abbreviated shooting schedule, Nishikawa wisely chose to "go small" with his shots. Each scene is personal to the viewer. Each battle is realistically chaotic without wide shots and multiple angles to give viewers their bearings. The result for the viewer is – as it is for the characters - an exhausted embrace of the story's pauses. Nishikawa also "goes small" with his characters. The memories that haunt Takata are often short, deeply personal gut punches. The realistic pidgin banter between the "local boy" Hawaiian Japanese and the exploration of the tensions between the Hawaiian Japanese and the mainland "kotonk" Japanese are products of character development and not just tossed in for "authenticity". Unlike many recent war films, there is little battle gore in "Only The Brave", making the infrequent bloody scenes that much more powerful. The cast, featuring Nishikawa, Jason Scott Lee, Yuji Okumoto and Tamlyn Tomita, turn in solid performances but Pat Morita's cameo was a little wonky for me. "Only The Brave" will definitely be worth watching when it is finally released into theaters. I was lucky enough to attend a private screening in Seattle. I'd gladly wait in line again.

In my opinion, this movie's title should be changed from "Only the Brave" to "All About Lane". I went to a screening of this film a few months ago and was quite disappointed with the outcome. Although, I appreciate that the director made a movie about the men of 442nd - a subject matter that long deserved addressing in the film industry - the acting in some parts of film was quite stale. The performances of Marc Dacascos, Tamlyn Tomita, and Jason Scott Lee were all great. However, the director should have NEVER put himself as the main character in the movie. Sorry Lane, you are just not a film actor. Stick to what you're good at - theater acting. Gina Hiraizumi's performance in this film was also horrible. She should never have been given a speaking role and her looks were unfit to play the part of a Miss Nisei queen. There were other young actresses in the film who were naturally beautiful and whose performances were wonderful... Why weren't they cast for that role? Another major problem with this film were its action sequences. The Japanese-American soldiers don't look like they were fighting German soldiers... let alone anyone. Granted this was a low budget feature, but since this was a war-based film, isn't it important to show some actually fighting? This film was a worthy attempt, but definitely not worth a major distribution.

Last night my wife and I viewed this film at the Director's Guild Theatre in Hollywood. My first impression as it ended was that I was glad that a movie like this had been made! Lane, the director, was kind enough to field questions from the audience after the screening and learning how they did this on a shoe-string budget made the film even more impressive to me. The acting was superb, the camera work was on the money and the writing was top notch. I can't wait to see the final version! Kudos to Lane and his production crew, to the actors and the fund-raising effort that made it all happen. This film needs major distribution and the sooner, the better!

I was fortunate enough to see this playing on a big screen on the beach in Waikiki. The courage of the men whose action this film recounts is extremely humbling and I got teary-eyed more than once while watching the film. Given the low budget, the director truly did an amazing job. It's a shame that the film didn't get a wide-spread release because every American should know about the sacrifices the men of the 100th IN Battalion / 442nd RCT made to protect our nation and bring freedom to the people of Europe. I know what a touchy thing it is for Soldiers when someone tells them that they are heroes, because they were doing their job, but the men this film depicts truly were American heroes, risking and in many cases sacrificing their lives in defense of a nation that had turned against them and their families. It makes their valor that much more incredible. The film was truly a labor of love for everyone involved, and it shows, because obviously the film will never be a huge commercial success. However, the writer-director has earned my respect for preserving this part of history on film. I hope this film will be available on DVD in the near future.

This is a terrific film and tribute to an unbelievable group of soldiers and just one of their amazing accomplishments. With all the renewed interest in World War II as this generation of men begin to pass from the scene, I can't believe there haven't been more films about the little- known exploits of this all-Japanese American 442nd RCT. As of this writing, this film has mainly been on the film festival circuit - I can't believe this was a low-budget, independent film - a period piece, and a war picture, to boot. A great cast, including such Asian American luminaries like Jason Scott Lee, Mark Dacascos, Tamlyn Tomita, Pat Morita (maybe his last performance), and others, along with a scrupulous attention to detail - weapons, uniforms, etc. - make this a stand-out film. The script's basic theme - that each of these men were more than just soldiers, they each had families, loved ones, reasons to live - magnify the tragedy of each death, so this film not only honors and glorifies these men's accomplishments, it also serves as a meditation on the true cost of war. Hope this sparks many, many more films about these guys!

I was excited to see this film was in production when I first stumbled across it a few months before it was released. I managed to find it at a local video rental place about three months after it became available on the website and decided to give it a look. Although not perfect, "Only the Brave" presents a story that needs more recognition in this day in age. Especially with so many 442nd vets passing on every day. Although the characters are fictional, they are no less real, with a lot of attention paid to their lives before and after the war. My family was sent to the internment camps after Executive Order 9066 was signed by FDR, and their experiences mirror those of the men in the film. They too lost their jobs, then their property, then their basic freedoms in what is still regarded as one of the largest civil-rights atrocity in the history of the country. Three of my Mother's uncles served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, one of them earning a Bronze Star with Valor Device during the same mission portrayed in the film while serving as a Combat Medic. A subject I wish they had touched on during the film was the degrading 'loyalty tests' that Active Military personal of Japanese Decent were forced to take after Pearl Harbor, as one of the aforementioned uncles was subject to those as a member of the US Army Garrison in Hawaii at the time. As far as film craft is concerned, the picture is not without it's faults. A few scenes really would have worked better in a stage production then a feature film, and some of the scenes seemed to have an out of place dream-like quality. But all things considered I am simply glad that this film was made in the first place. Obviously a work from the heart for a lot of the actors and crew. Who all, like myself, had a deep personal connection to the story being told. Hollywood has pointed the spotlight on minorities serving in WWII frequently in the past few years with films such as "Miracle at St. Anna", "Windtalkers", and "The Tuskeegee Airmen", but always seems to overlook the story of the 442nd RCT/100th Battalion (with the exception of the film "Go For Broke" which was released in the 50's). Hopefully 'Only the Brave' will be the first of many more films to highlight the sacrifice and heroism of these men who were told they weren't Americans, then proved their government wrong in the most spectacular way possible.

ONLY THE BRAVE has potential, that's for sure. It tells the story of Japanese-American troops fighting on the side of America against Japan during the Second World War. It's not an original subject matter, because they'd done similar films since the 1950s, but I was more than happy to check out the story as told for a new generation. Sadly, this turns out not to be a war film at all, but rather an overworked melodrama. Just as the story seems to turn interesting, the viewer is treated to another endless flashback; flashback footage eats up most of the running time here. We get to see the soldiers back home as they interact with their wives and family members, and these scenes are embarrassingly 'arty' and quite lame. The film is bogged down with romantic sentiment throughout, and I found it all quite unwatchable. It's a pity, as the casting director has assembled plenty of familiar Asian-American and Hawaiaan actors, including action stalwarts like Mark Dacascos and Jason Scott Lee, alongside Greg Watanabe and Kenneth Choi.