The Barbarian and the Geisha
Tags: intrigue

Plot synopsis:
In 1856, Townsend Harris (John Wayne) is sent by President Pierce to serve as the first U.S. Consul-General to Japan, following the treaty written by Commodore Matthew Perry. Accompanied only by his translator-secretary, Huesken (Jaffe), comes ashore at the town of Shimoda, as specified in the treaty as the location for an American consulate.
However, the Japanese governor (Sō Yamamura) refuses to accept his credentials, denying him any official status, due to a conflict between interpretations of the treaty terms. While Harris believes that the Consul shall be present whenever either country requires, the Japanese believe the terms to permit a consul only when both countries require. The governor holds to his interpretation, largely because of objections over the threats under which the treaty was forced upon them. Harris is permitted to remain in Shimoda, but only as a private citizen, with no recognition of his official status. He is provided the use of an abandoned home, adjacent to the town cemetery.
The governor explains that, in the two years following Perry's visit, various natural disasters had taken place. Some Japanese believed them to be warnings from the gods to avoid foreign influences. In the weeks that follow, Harris is the target of distrust and hostility, to the extent that Tamura orders townspeople to not even sell him food. Some in Japan wanted the country opened, but many others feared the corruption of foreign influences, and invasion by the barbarians of other lands. For this reason, Harris is not permitted to leave Shimoda, nor to go any closer to the capitol in Edo, 100 miles away.
For his own part, Harris does his best to cooperate with the Governor, even obeying orders to take down the American flag which had been raised to mark the location of the Consulate. His cooperation noted, after several months, Harris is eventually invited to dine with the Governor, a dinner following which Tamura sends a geisha named Okichi (Eiko Ando) to take care of Harris' needs.
The relationship between Harris and Okichi grows closer and more intimate, and she helps him understand Japanese culture.
Harris makes a number of blunders, one of which leads to a cholera epidemic and the destruction of the town. However, out of this disaster comes Harris' opportunity to go to Edo, where he must then convince the Shogunate to open the country, while facing his greatest crisis.

Review: John Wayne as America's first consul to Japan arrives in accordance with agreements resulting from Perry's gunboat diplomacy.
When you consider that this movie was made only 13 years after the end of the war in the Pacific, with its brutality and carnage, it is quite surprising to see that the "The Barbarian and the Geisha" tries to to present the clash of cultures, 100 years earlier, with such apparent equity and fairness.While some may see John Wayne as the archetypical posterboy for American jingoism, in fact his character clearly tries to understand the country in which he is trying to establish the consulate, and shows genuine remorse, not arrogance, in noting that in early part of his assignment, all that the Americans had established was a cholera epidemic and the torching of the city to quell it.While the interracial love story behind the title was somewhat superficial, I thought that the more important aspects of colliding cultures and political shadowboxing was quite interesting and well presented..
The film moves with a quiet realism through its superficially unexciting story.For the open-minded, the patient and the thoughtful, this movie is a rich depiction of an intriguing part of history.There are two intertwining stories.
The small, human, story is of an outsider barbarian (Wayne) and a civilised Geisha's initial hostility and dislike turning to mutual respect and love.
John Wayne is excellent as Townsend Harris, striking exactly the right blend of force and negotiation in his dealings with the Japanese.
Indeed, the clash of a traditionalist, and traditionally powerful, isolationist Japan and a rising, newly powerful nation from across the ocean is summarised very well in one exchange between John Wayne and the local Japanese baron.
The resultant clash between two self-righteous peoples with conflicting interests has its reflections throughout history, a continuing theme that echoes into the present and on into the future.Cinematography and the depiction of mid-nineteenth century Japan, before the accelerated growth towards industrialisation that was to follow later in the century, is excellent.
A visual treat, and an enlightening insight into Japan's ancient civilisation.I highly recommend anyone, whether a John Wayne fan or not, to watch this film if you get the chance.
It is a representation of an interesting place and time in history, and a slow-boiling love story which (much to their surprise) comes to dominate the personal lives of the two main characters.
In fact, though John Wayne was the right choice for the role of Townsend Harris, the first US consul general in Japan, he looks awkward as a romantic lead, especially besides sleek Eiko Ando as the geisha.
Huston handled the Japanese aspects of the story in a reverent fashion; the film even begs for subtitles, since he let the Japanese perform considerable portions of dialogue in their native language.
As Wayne perhaps for different reasons- Huston must have felt attracted to the colonialist side of the story, but although it's known that Fox reshot scenes and re-edited the film, there wasn't much to do with a script concealing the expansionist interest in breaking Japan isolationism behind the Consul General's demagogy.
Those merits include an interesting look at Japan circa 1856 and how the arrival of non-Japanese were looked on with fear and loathing.There are some odd directorial dead spots such as when Wayne as Townsend Harris is told he cannot fly the American flag.
The Barbarian And The Geisha (John Huston, 1958) **1/2.
Star and director are not exactly in their element throughout this period piece (set in mid-19th century Japan and based on real events) – though John Wayne gets to brawl with a dwarf/giant combination!; apparently, Huston became fascinated with the country and its culture after viewing Akira Kurosawa’s RASHOMON (1951) and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s GATE OF HELL (1953) – in fact, he obtained the services of the latter as a “script supervisor” on this one!Still, the film is interesting in its depiction of the clash of traditions – especially involving two countries which, a little over a decade earlier, had been deadly enemies – and, in any case, Japan was a popular venue with Hollywood during this time: witness the two back-to-back Marlon Brando vehicles THE TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON (1956) and SAYONARA (1957).
The glossy production values (courtesy of Fox) make the most of the exotic locations, but the plot itself is rather melodramatic – Wayne’s initially hostile reception, an outbreak of cholera, the assassination of a supportive Japanese leader (which threatens to throw the country into Civil War), an attempt on Wayne’s own life and the failed aggressor’s subsequent seppuku (which also terminates Wayne’s subtle romance with the geisha of the title), etc.Finally, though as I said this is one of Wayne’s most uncharacteristic films (which I had missed out on countless times in the past but was determined to catch now in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Huston’s passing), it’s certainly not worthy of the same level of disdain as his other Asian flick – Dick Powell’s camp classic THE CONQUEROR (1956)..
Based on facts with John Wayne as intrepid American Ambassador in Japan.
The picture develops the true tale of Townsend Harris (John Wayne) who during the nineteenth century is sent -along with his helper (Sam Jaffe)- by President Pierce to Japan to serve as the first American Consul-General to that nation .
Then the geisha beauty is sent to destroy the barbarian from the west .This costumer picture is based on historic events .
Anti-reforms riots to return old values , traditional way of life and code Bushido were realized by the Samurais a type of medieval knight for preventing of occidental life style .John Wayne becomes the first Ambassador from the Western world is this oriental adventure .
Panned by the critics , the movie was a flop at box office , receiving awful reviews , considering Wayne is horribly miscast and ¨Barbarian and Geisha¨ resulted to be one of the worst of his bad films .
Motion picture produced and released by Twenty Century Fox- Darryl F Zanuck- is regularly directed by John Huston .
If you were to make a real film about Townsend Harris, the first American diplomat in Japan, the guy you would have cast in the role was Clifton Webb.
Now that would have been an interesting film.But done the way John Huston did it, with Harris as a romantic figure, Tyrone Power would have been perfect casting.
Wayne looked so awkward and ridiculous mouthing those romantic lines that Ty Power could have done in his sleep.John Huston said that in casting John Wayne he was trying to show a clash of cultures, Tokugawa Japan being opened to the west by the young vibrant, expanding America and Huston saw Wayne as the personification of 19th century America.
Supposedly both men developed a hearty dislike of the other.I will say this though, it's a spectacularly photographed film and it does show quite accurately the Japan that Townsend Harris was dealing with.But it was still one of the big duds for the Duke's career..
In THE BARBARIAN AND THE GEISHA, John Wayne plays Townsend Harris, a real envoy from the United States who was responsible for truly opening up Japan to International relations in the late 1850s.
According to some other sources I found, the romance between Harris and a Japanese Geisha is mostly fiction and this romance is much of the focus of this film (hence, the title).My first reaction the first time I saw this movie was one of surprise.
By the way, I've seen photos of Harris and Wayne has practically no resemblance to him at all.However, despite the story taking a lot of liberties with the truth and the strange casting, the film is still very watchable.
The color cinematography is nice, the film shows some nice insights into Japanese customs and culture and the acting isn't bad.
You find out a bit more about the real life characters as well as a supposed fight between Wayne and the director (John Huston) where Wayne apparently knocked him out!!
There are often badly-matched couples (in the general sense of the term) -in Huston's movies :"African Queen" "Heaven knows Mister Allison" "roots of Heaven" "Misfits" ..."The Barbarian and the geisha" (check the title) is another good example,so to speak.It seems that Japanese stuff was trendy at the time as such works as "Sayonara" " the world of Suzie Wong" and "the teahouse of the August moon" bear witness.
Huston's effort might be the worst of this rather bad lot(with the exception of "Susie " maybe).John Wayne perfectly fits in Ford's world ,in Huston's he's like a bull in a china shop.His Japanese partner is totally bland.Even the dramatic scenes (cholera epidemic) do not save the movie from absolute boredom.Only those utterly enamoured of Huston's every work need to choose this ,among all his other great movies around..
The Barbarian and the Geisha was an interesting film.
It isn't entirely successful, but I can say that both star John Wayne and director John Huston have done much worse.The Barbarian and the Geisha does have its problems.
The script also has its good points, but also some stilted and overly pompous moments too, while John Wayne is a little out-of-place and awkward in the lead.
The film is well-directed by Huston and Eiko Ando is beguiling and charming.Overall, a decent film, could have been better but it wasn't as bad as I was led to believe.
The director John Huston disowned the movie after both John Wayne and the studio mangled and reshot anything that had to do with the director's vision.
Compared to any of the on-location Asian films of the time....Sayonara, Teahouse of the August Moon, the House of Bamboo, Inn of the Sixth Happiness...this is by far the worst.
The Barbarian And The Geisha, although perhaps not completely accurate to true life of the events it depicts does give us a beautiful look into the the look and feel of Japan of the mid-1800's.
One scene features a large group of Geisha playing the koto, a stringed instrument central in Japanese music and culture, and the sound is transporting to the "mysterious Orient".
Japanese language is heard throughout the movie, kudos to Huston there, and the characters communicate largely through a translator which also puts us more into the place of Harris' experience in Japan.
If I had realized John Wayne was in this movie, I would not have watched it.
But then, most John Wayne movies are like that.
The movie deals with the nineteenth century isolationism of Japan.
After filming had been completed,Houston moved on to other projects,Wayne however was not satisfied and had whole scenes reshot and re edited,the finished product was a mish mash of styles with the Duke trying to play a Cowboy in Japan..
When I saw this one when it was released, it looked great on the CinemaScope/DeLuxe Color screen, with a magnetic stereophonic sound track allowing the prolific Hugo Friedhofer to fill the theater with music that enhanced the exotic locales and the (presumably) authentic glimpses of Japan during the period in which this story is set.
But Wayne seems uncomfortable, to say the least, in this role, and Huston, saddled with what seems like a pastiche of a script (three writers are uncredited, for instance) was probably only mildly amused to find himself trying to make sense of this muddle.
Eiko Ando, selected to play opposite Wayne, appears to have been awarded the role because she's an Amazon, looking twice the size of a typical female of Japanese descent!
There's a lot of reason to like "The Barbarian And The Geisha," too bad so little of that shows up on screen.
It's a classic case of how good intentions when married to fuzzy execution yield disappointing results.In 1856, following the opening of Japan to an American naval force, newly-appointed consul general Townsend Harris (John Wayne) shows up at the fishing community of Shimoda to ratify an agreement.
Harris insists, and Tamura responds with some hospitality, including a music-making geisha named Okichi (Eiko Ando) who is sent to Harris to make him more comfortable."The governor wants to know about us, and we want to know about Japan," Harris tells his aide Henry (Sam Jaffe) in accepting the young lovely into his home.Shot on location in glorious CinemaScope, "The Barbarian And The Geisha" is the kind of movie I want to like.
It takes an even-handed approach at celebrating a century of Japanese-American relations centering on the idea of being a "good neighbor." Another reviewer here criticizes Wayne for playing a "cowboy;" that's not the issue at all.In fact, a big part of the problem is Wayne's gentleness.
His problem is he's not the actor for such a role, and struggles to define a character with a lot of earnest diplomat-speak that suits him as poorly as his period trousers.Another reviewer suggests Clifton Webb would have been a better casting choice.
I can see him arching that eyebrow as he uttered such dry lines as: "No one stays as he wasnor any country."Director John Huston doesn't seem to know what kind of film he's making, a romance or a history, so he throws together a historical romance that sells both sides short.
Ando was a newcomer in her only screen role, and she's charming enough, but what exactly is the point of Okichi in this story is as hard to tell by watching the film as it is from reading the history.Not that I found myself caring too much.
The film starts and ends with a scene of grand spectacle, and pretty much that's Huston's agenda, the kind of spectacle meant as show and divorced from story.
There's some drama when an American ship's arrival leads to a cholera epidemic, but just as that seems to spell the end of Harris's mission, it is revealed the Japanese appreciated his efforts in stopping the epidemic.
Thus is conflict resolved, with another long pageant to celebrate same.The only thing I enjoyed about this movie was So Yamamura, who gets my 1958 Doe Avedon award for best performance in a bad film.
Worst John Wayne film ever...a real dog.
but it wins the "Worst John Wayne Films Ever Award." No plot or better yet lousy plot....American Diplomat (Wayne) attempts to put a dent in Isolationist Colonial Japan, toss in a Geisha, a Plague and you still have Zero.
The hero of this film, Townsend Harris (1804-1878), was a real individual; he was an American merchant and diplomat who in 1856 was appointed the first U.S. Consul-General to Japan.
The parts of the film dealing with his diplomatic mission, culminating in the signing of the "Harris Treaty" regulating American-Japanese trade, are generally based in historical fact.
The parts dealing with a romance between Harris and the beautiful Japanese geisha Okichi, however, are probably fictitious, although the legend of their love has long persisted in Japan.As others have pointed out, this was (in some ways at least) an unusual role for John Wayne, although Harris does share some characteristics with the quintessential Wayne hero, such as courage, honour and patriotism.
In other respects, however, as a diplomat and man of peace whose only weapon is the power of persuasion he is very different to the men of action- cowboys, gunfighters, soldiers, etc.- portrayed by Wayne in most of his other movies.
One deals with the love-story of Harris and Okichi.
The other deals with the conflict between the pro- Western Japanese modernisers, who welcome Harris's mission, and the conservative, traditionalist forces who resent it.
The forces which doom the relationship between Harris and Okichi are much more fundamental, and are rooted in irreconcilable differences between their two nations' concepts of morality and honour.Some have expressed surprise that a film celebrating the establishment of peaceful American-Japanese relations was made only thirteen years after the end of World War II, but this becomes less surprising when one considers that by 1958 Japan was a key US ally in the Cold War. Moreover, the view of the Japanese in this film is not altogether positive.
The events of 1853, when Japan was forced to open its doors to the West by Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet under threat of force, are justified by allegations that the Japanese had been guilty of beheading shipwrecked foreign sailors and refusing to allow American vessels to enter their ports, even to take on emergency supplies of food and water.
Nevertheless, it is visually attractive, well acted and throws an interesting light on the history of American-Japanese relations.
John Wayne would hardly be one's first choice as a cultural attache, being about as diplomatic with his good intentions as a bull-run in Harrods.
He had authority over nobody, and the intermittent narrative was provided by the titular geisha to whom he was the barbarian.The story of American attempts to curry favour with an isolationist Japan was one of political intrigue rather than swashbuckling or hell-for-leather battles.
A lot of money and thought had been applied to it.The fractured romance between Wayne and his geisha added a little extra element, and stopped the movie becoming just a political or flag-waving effort.
No doubt John Wayne's solid allure at the domestic box-office helped no end.COMMENT: Understandably, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" was one of the least popular of the big-budget CinemaScope movies.
True, the script does occasionally ring in a bit of humor, but humor without action for the true Wayne devotee is like mustard without meat.Although often visually attractive, "The Barbarian and the Geisha" misses the pictorial richness of contemporary Japanese period films like "Gate of Hell".
John Wayne sets himself up for a fall .
The love of money may be the root of all Evil, but no amount of cash could bring GEISHA Okishi to stick with a mendacious phony like Wayne!