Sophie and the Rising Sun

This was a sweet love story, although it left me longing for more background, clarification and character development. The flashbacks were not enough. Why does Sophie live alone? What happened to her parents? How old was she? Answers to these questions would have made her character much more interesting. Would have loved to know more about Mr. Ota and his family background as well, besides the fact that they grew apples! I think this story could have been so much richer had the screenwriter delved deeper into these characters' lives. The movie was touching and interesting and the chemistry between Ota and Sophie was good. But the whole film seemed too superficial. It did touch accurately on the attitude of Americans toward the Japanese Americans during WW2. However, I think in typical Hollywood fashion, it put people of faith in an unfair and negative light. Not all southern churchgoers were cruel toward minorities, but it did happen. I think my favorite character was the maid. She had a confident pride, but also could feel empathy toward Mr. Ota as a black woman in the south. She knew what it was like to be outcast for her skin color. It was such a poignant moment in the film when is the one to wash off the words "dirty Jap" from the wall. She knew his pain.

This movie was a lovely story but I feel it could have been so much more had we really known the characters and what their backstories were.

As I say in the title, this is a gorgeous, relevant film, on multiple levels, without it being a complex, tiring film to watch, on the contrary, it is very purposeful and clear, yet also very beautiful and engaging, not to mention very stirring and moving. The cinematic language in which the story is told, made me long for more, and as cinema and storytelling go, I count this film as a triumph, so I rate it 10/10.

To explain my title, Sophie and the rising sun has everything except shooting, explosions, and car chases. It is a devastating picture of racism. It is a love story beyond compare. It is wonderfully filmed. Nicholson as Sophie is luminous. Martindale as Ann is faultless. Toussaint as Salome is simply amazing. The Japanese gentleman is outstanding. See this movie if you can. It's a solid ten for a viewer who loves good drama, who is maybe tired of cheap thrills. I watched it for free on Prime, and I'll watch it again tomorrow.

Maggie Greenwald, whose work I've admired since "The Kill-Off", does a fine job in capturing another era, that of the dawn of World War II in the American South, in its sad tale of love thwarted by prejudice, with great sympathy generated for the underdog. Also sad is the current increase in bigotry in America, putting us on the precipice of a return to such awful times, if powerful forces on the extreme right, get their way.

Powerful performances by Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale and Lorraine Toussaint propel the compelling narrative, which while not being preachy does follow time-honored and well-meaning, predictable story arcs.

"Sophie and the Rising Sun" is a beautifully filmed movie with excellent acting - Margo Martindale and Lorraine Toussaint are particularly strong and give outstanding performances. Visually the film is gorgeous. Wolfgang Held brings magic to the screen with his incredible rich and intense cinematography. Though the story is set in a different time period it vibrates with relevance to today. Sophie comes to us at a time when we can only benefit by the questions it raises. You leave the film with the sad recognition that what was once still exists today. Prejudice and bigotry remains.