Review of The Crimson Kimono (1959) by Martin T — 02 Aug 2010

An odd movie. Part noir crime thriller, part love triangle, part racial issues movie. It handles all parts with some finesse, but it's the last that is the most striking. Fuller treats Japanese-Americans with a respect and dignity you don't see much of, even in today's films.

Not a condescending stereotype in sight, even Asian music is incorporated into the score without a hint of caricature. Compared to the blunt and simplistic White Dog, it's amazingly deft and complex.

James Shigeta, in his first role, is very very good, and Victoria Shaw does a decent job as well. Among the leads, Glenn Corbett is the weak link, not horrible but doesn't seem to match the quality of Shigeta's performance.

There's also a fun supporting performance by Anna Lee. The film has a good deal of style and makes excellent use of Los Angeles locations. The editing is weird, though, and Fuller often "zooms" by simply enlarging a portion of the frame, which looks terrible.

As a noir fan, I would preferred the crime story to play a more significant role in the story, but the sensitive handling of Japanese-American culture makes this film very worthwhile.