Go for Broke! (1951)

That was an excellent one.

Great Film overall

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This film held a few surprises for me and it may for many other people as well. I don't think it is spoiling the film at all to say that it mainly concerns the activities of a Japanese regiment which took part in campaigns in the European theatre in the latter part of WWII. Obviously, the mere thought of infantrymen looking and sounding like Japanese, but wearing American GI uniforms, was hard for a number of people to accept, and this is where the film draws its dramatic tension as these not-so-usual American troops try to redeem the bad name of their ancestral lands.Well-directed with certain dramatic generic battle scenes (added from newsreels and other sources I imagine) to give the film more impact. As usual in films of this era, the character acting is very good, and this in spite perhaps of the limited number of actors who might have been available at the time to play roles as GIs of Japanese origin. Very competent lead role played by Van Johnson is also a major plus for this entertaining, thoughtful film.

A humorous look at the war through the experiences of the the highly decorated Japanese American 442nd Regiment, with a realistic cast and Van Johnson walking well through his part as a prejudiced platoon leader who comes to respect his men not just for their valor but for their ingenuity and constantly positive attitudes in the face of hostility from the enemy as well as many at home and the forced internments of their families. Though all of that is hinted at, the film maintains a snappy brightness throughout, even in the battle scenes, where everyone has a can-do perspective on how to take out those pesky machine gun nests. If the film has any drawback it's that there is no dark side, no real tension in the battle scenes nor in the issue of racism. It's contentedness to portray the real meat and bones issues of life and death combat and racism in a light and humorous manner cuts both ways, because this film steps so lightly it doesn't convey much of the hell of war nor the ugliness of racism, but its carried along by intelligence, wit, and wholesome old-fashioned Hollywood patriotism.

Robert Pirosh wrote his own picture and did a wonderful job of directing it, and 'Go for Broke!', his tribute to Japanese-American volunteers fighting in World War II, is deftly executed with a nice blend of pulse-quickening action and more thought-provoking interludes where white Lieutenant Grayson (Van Johnson), originally prejudiced against the people he is assigned to command, gradually learns to come to terms with the fact that bravery and patriotism are irrelevant to your race or the color of your skin.That could all be a little too rhetorical for its own good, but Pirosh never over-stresses his point, and his picture is never holier-than-thou. "You see, Sir, I'm from Texas", Grayson says to his superior, but Pirosh lets it go at that and doesn't lash out against Southern bigotry. I really liked the gentle irony of Pirosh' contrasting the idyllic, outdated guidebooks to Italy and France that Grayson reads with the prosaic reality of war-torn countries.

I have known about this film since I was young, but it was not until a "dull drab army day" overseas did I actually get to view it. I was impressed with the film. It was nice to see a film from the 1950's talk about ethnic/race relations in a positive way. I thought the message that World War Two was a war for all Americans was good. The film showed that it didn't matter what ethnicity, race, or creed you are, freedom is for all, that all discrimination is barbarism and immoral. It was really encouraging to see the Lieutenant's change of heart and mind by the end of the film. I also, thought it was good that the film was not preachy. Some of the light humor was also well done. Overall I would recommend this film to anybody. This film is based on true events and true people. I would like to thank all those men and women who served our nation in that war. All gave some, and some gave all. This film was a tribute to one group of soldiers that many have not heard of.