SOPHIE AND THE RISING SUN

US, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale, Takashi Yamaguchi, Diane Ladd, Lorraine Toussaint, Joel Murray.
Directed by Maggie Greenwald.

This film is set in North Carolina, in a small fishing village, at America’s entry into World War II.

Sophie is played by Julianne Nicholson, a quiet woman who lives in the town, a friend of an older woman played by Margo Martindale. She has an African- American servant, Lorraine Toussaint. All seems normal in the town, the men going away to the war.

However, a traveller arrives, ill, and is taken in by the women. He is Japanese, has travelled from New York City, needs care. The old woman cares for him. Sophie becomes attached to him, falling in love with him.

Prejudices surface against him, some of the women gossip, especially a neighbour played by Diane Ladd, who has tended a son severely wounded in World War I.

The film then becomes a mixture of the tenderness in the care for the man, the love, the protection contrasting with the rabid prejudice leading to violence and brutality. The film is a reminder of the internment of Japanese Americans for the duration of World War II.

The film was directed by Maggie Greenawald, The Kill off, Ballad of Little Jo, Songcatcher many television programs.

1. A piece of Americana? The American South? 1941? Pre- Pearl Harbor? Post- Pearl Harbor?

2. The setting, the small town, the coast and fishing, the streets and the woods, homes, cinemas, churches, society? The musical score?

3. The opening with the bus, the body on the street, the injuries, the issue of the name, people’s concern, a place for the injured man to stay, approaching Anne, widow, the man recovering, assumed to be Chinese? The encounters with Sophie, talking? The sheriff and his men? Taking the problem to an Anne her taking the man in?

4. Ruth Evers, John, the severe injuries from World War I? The tenderness towards him? Visits to the church, the congregation, the minister and the sermons? The ladies’ club and gardens? Anne’s contribution?

5. Sophie, her character, age, past experience, alone, fishing, painting? The flashbacks to her memories, the severity of her mother, her childhood black friend and her being beaten for keeping her company?

6. The housekeeper leaving, Salome coming, her interview, acceptance from Anne? Her work, her being shunned by the white visitors, especially Ruth? Her concern for Anne? Anne’s injuries? Sophie seeming to ignore her? The final revelation that she was the childhood friend? The past, the child and its name, death? Her being a singer and touring the South? Her return to the town?

7. Anne at her garden, Mr Orta and his help, skills? The hydrangeas? Buying the seeds and his treatment at the shop? Anne giving her husband’s clothes? A love of poetry?
8. Mr Orta, his Japanese background, the first son born in the United States, California? His courtesy, the injuries and the background of his being attacked and robbed in New York City, on the bus, recovering, working the garden? His painting, the same spot as Sophie? The gradual attraction, his name is Grover? Being observed, the kiss? His plans, apples, going to New York to buy the apples? His love of music, dancing with Sophie?

9. World War II, the comments on the Russians, the Germans, the Jews in the camps, the comment on hearsay? Whether America should join the war effort or not? Going to the movies, the scenes of Japanese massacres?

10. Issues of prejudice, race, divisions of churches, yellow people being considered as coloured? The radio and propaganda? Mr Orta being ignored, the African- Americans?

11. The bombing of Pearl Harbor, the reactions, and her distress, Ruth and her upset, Sophie learning the news, the fact that Grover was Japanese? The visuals of Roosevelt’s speech?

12. Prejudice, the destruction of Anne’s garden, Dirty Jap painted on the wall? Grover, the offer of a lift, his being bashed and stabbed? Anne and her concern, attentiveness, her shock at his being Japanese and the enemy? Salome scrubbing the wall? Anne and her lie about Grover being gone, attending his wounds, Sophie weeping? The car, taking him to her father’s shelter? Supplies, her mailing the letter, his promise about the garden?

13. The badmouthing of the races? Prejudice against the Japanese? Grover and his staying in the hut, recovering?

14. Christmas, the congregation singing hymns, silent when passing Sophie’s house? The sheriff’s arrival, the search of the house, his physical attack on Sophie?

15. The food for the week, Anne unable to bring it, the letter for Sophie, the food? Sophie going to the hut, the painting? The sexual encounter and its effect on her?

16. Ruth snooping, Anne and the stories of her past and her so-called respectable father? Threatening to expose him?

17. The decision that Grover should leave? The car, Salome and driving the car? Sophie and her deciding to leave, packing?

18. Ruth, her visits to Anne, the arguments and prejudice? The snooping at the window? Seeing the car with its lights out, following?

19. The car passing, Grover and Sophie escaping, Salome and her confronting Ruth, physically, denouncing her?

20. Grover and Sophie seen together, interned in the camp?

21. The tenderness of the film, the violence of American racism, the plight of the Japanese in America during World War II?