Pineapple butai

Hey, Pineapple!

パイナップル部隊

Release Date: December, 27th, 1959

Running Time: 96 min

Genre: Feature

Color: -

Screening Format: -

Screen Size: -

Sound Processing: -

Subtitle: ,

[ Directed by ]

UCHIKAWA Seiichiro

[ Cast ]

[ Staff ]

OTA Yoshiharu ── Cinematography
MAYUZUMI Toshiro ── Music

[ Production Company ]

SHOCHIKU

[ Distributor (Japan) ]

SHOCHIKU

[ Story ]

This is the film version of a war novel by Robert N. Hongo, a Hawaiian Nisei, based on his experiences during the Korean War which was best-seller in Hawaii, and was widely discussed when Shochiku finally obtained the film rights in severe competition with Hollywood.
The time is February 1951, at the height of the Korean Conflict.
Young Hawaiian Nisei are called up and, after hard basic training in Hawaii, they arrive in Japan, land of their ancestors en route to Korea.
Among them are Sub whose uncle, Masagoro, runs a Sushi restaurant; Oki who expects to meet his fiancee; Abe, a photographer's son; Kumagai who is called Buddha-Head because of his stiff-necked Buddhist parents; the serious-minded Konno; Kanei, who has Black blood; and Yamamura, a good ukulele player.
After three days' layover, they move to Korea. Overcoming their initial shock at the attack by "human waves" of enemy soldiers, they inflict heavy damage on the enemy, but suffer casualties. Suzuki, who has been nicknamed Suzie and is outwardly as gentle as a girl, is the first to be killed.
May 1st in Hawaii is a day of laughter and music, with everyone wearing colorful leis. But on the battlefront where the guns' boom over the barren rocks, there are no flowers even for the dead.
The Miles platoon is given a scouting assignment. They obtain valuable information and are rewarded with one week's Rest and Recuperation in Japan.
The holiday ends. The fighting continues. Miles, Captain March, Konno, Buddha-Head, Oki and Abe are killed in action. Just a handful including Sub, Yamamura and Kanei are fighting desperately, when long awaited reinforcements arrive. The enemy begins to retreat. The order to advance is given, and the Pineapple soldiers, in whose veins Japanese blood flows, instinctively shout Banzai as they dash against the enemy.

【Quoted from Unijapan Film Quarterly 1960 3.2】