
Dear John
2010 · Drama · Romance


User Score
147 votes
"I am not allowed to love. But I will love you if that is your desire..."
Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver is reassigned to a Japanese air base and is confronted with US racial prejudice against the Japanese people. The issue is compounded because a number of the soldiers become romantically involved with Japanese women, in defiance of US military policy. Ordinarily, a by-the-book officer, Gruver must take a position when a buddy of his, an enlisted man, Joe Kelly, falls in love with a Japanese woman, Katsumi, and marries her. Gruver risks his position by serving as best man at the wedding ceremony.
Recommendations based on this film

Wuchak
November 10, 2021
_**Brando’s romantic culture clash in Japan after WW2**_ In 1951, an American Air Force pilot serving in Korea (Marlon Brando) is reassigned to Kobe, Japan, where he deals with his American fiancé (Patricia Owens) and a Japanese performer who attracts his attention (Miiko Taka). The problem is there’s a military order against fraternizing with indigenous women. James Garner and Red Buttons have peripheral roles while…
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CinemaSerf
February 13, 2025
Though it does try to deal with some quite poignant issues, I’m afraid it struggles to engage as it plods along a bit too sedately for 2½ hours. It’s set in an immediately post-war Korea and sees “Joe” (Red Buttons) fall in love with a Japanese gal. Now that’s strictly against the rules of fraternisation and he risks an immediate court martial. It’s only going to get more precarious when he decides to marry “Katsumi”…
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