La petite maison de thé

Marlon Brando was amazing in this film. I saw the comments made on TCM before they started the film and they said he saw the stage play and begged Paramount (?) to let him have a part in it when they made the film. They said he could have any part he wanted and he picked Sakini, the translator. As a Japanese teacher I want to tell you that I was stunned at his perfect accent! He spoke English exactly as a native Japanese person would. If I hadn't been told ahead of time that it was Marlon Brando, there is no way you could have convinced me that it wasn't a native Japanese actor doing the part. I could see that an attempt was made to make the natives look uneducated and doltish, but having lived in Japan for a year and a half, I simply couldn't see them that way. All you have to do is take a few minutes to watch any people and see the intelligence in their eyes and in their mannerisms and you can see how intelligent they really are whether YOU understand their language or not!

I just had the chance to see this charming movie again in widescreen format in what evidently is a new or restored print on Turner Classic Movies, and I'm realizing that I love the flick more and more each time I see it. The wonderful cast - Glenn Ford, Paul Ford (ironic - no relation!), Eddie Albert, Marlon Brando and Harry Morgan - do a fine job of playing out the movie's humorous meditation on culture clash, and the ability of a strong but flexible people to maintain their Eastern ways in the face of Western "aid". Brando, in particular, is surprising; this is about as far from Stanley Kowalksi or Terry Malloy as you can get, and one would not think him able to do much with a humorous, cross-racial characterization, yet the brilliant and convincing manner in which he pulls it off reminds us of the great thespian talent he once possessed and which he tended to squander as his life progressed. I believe this film had its origins in a very successful stage play; we can thank the forces involved for committing this funny, charming, and ultimately heart-warming story to celluloid. Best line: "I've come to a state of gracious acceptance somewhere between my ambitions and my limitations."

Marlon Brando stars as a Japanese interpreter and Glenn Ford plays a captain who has been in almost every branch in the military. Ford is ordered to go to a Japanese village to teach the people about democracy and to build a schoolhouse in the shape of the pentagon. The Japanese are only interested in building a teahouse and their isn't enough money to build both. The Japanese try to sell some homemade stuff but it won't sell until Ford finds out that they also make brandy. The military can't get enough brandy, so they build a teahouse instead of a schoolhouse. The military don't like what Ford is doing so they send a psychiatrist but he ends up helping them out instead. I thought Glenn Ford was great here and Brando also did a good job.

This movie was the first chance to see Marlon Brando in a truly comical role, not the "He Man"-unbelievably good! His accent, his body movements, the Japanese he spoke, hard to believe this was the same man who did the Waterfront.I really think he deserved an award for this role. These were a couple of the most enjoyable hours I've ever spent. Having lived in Okinawa, and familiar with the practical, down-to-earth people there, I enjoyed the movie that makes so much fun and caricatures narrow-mindedness and pompousness while exalting creativity, adaptation, and "what really matters". The movie does make fun of the narrow-mindedness of some Americans, and shows the Okinawans with respect and tenderness, as assertive, business-minded, resilient, and proud. A real quality movie, and I'm so glad I taped it from Turner Classic movies.10 out of 10.

If you're not a fan of Glenn Ford's westerns, and you think he's merely an ordinary everyman, check out his timed perfection in The Teahouse of the August Moon. With such great talent, it's a wonder Jack Lemmon rose to stardom so quickly. Glenn has all the hesitation, stammering, exasperation, and desire to fix that it takes to be a comic genius. If the first time around, you don't catch all his jokes, don't worry. You were just laughing so hard, you couldn't keep up with the fast pace.

Every time I watch this delightful gem, I laugh myself sick. It does have a long running time, but it certainly goes by quickly. Glenn Ford's character is stationed in Okinawa after WWII, to oversee reconstruction and the wellbeing of the Japanese people. But in his mission to spread democracy, he's completely clueless in his new environment. Marlon Brando plays the scene-stealing Sakini, a Japanese interpreter who winks at and nudges the audience when he wants to make an inside joke. But even with an interpreter, Glenn still finds himself getting into one misunderstanding after another.

While it's seen as "white washing" by today's standards, Marlon Brando didn't intend for his performance to be offensive. In fact, he lived in a nearby Japanese village for four months to absorb the mannerisms, accent, and mentality of the local people. I found his portrayal of the savvy interpreter to be flawless; not only that, but I couldn't find any trace of his usual expressions or gestures. He completely transformed himself.

The story is heartwarming, funny, smart, and bittersweet. From Eddie Albert's obsession with soil and worms to Machiko Kyo's touching tea ceremony, this 1956 comedy is a one-of-a-kind gem with countless delightful moments.