Film Review: Rising Sun (1993)

It wasn’t unusual for people in the past, even the not so distant past, to have popular and widely shared notions that now, in hindsight, look ridiculous. In case of late 1980s and early 1990s America such notion was about Japan being actual winner of Cold War and using its superior economy and technology to subjugate United States and achieve in peace what it could not have in Second World War. This sentiment, although sometimes being accused of being racist, was shared even by some prominent members of American cultural establishment, including writer Michael Crichton whose 1991 best-selling techno thriller Rising Sun used exactly that premise as basis for its plot. In 1993 the novel was adapted into eponymous film directed by Philip Kaufman.

The plot is set in Los Angeles and begins with gala opening of newly constructed headquarters of Japanese Nakamoto corporation. Festivities are marred by discovery of body belonging to Cheryl Lynn Austin (played by Tatjana Patitz), beautiful aspiring model which has been apparently suffocated during sex. Lieutenant Webster “Web” Smith (played by Wesley Snipes), LAPD liaison officer, is called to the scene together with Captain John Connor (played by Sean Connery), semi-retired veteran of the force. It turns out that Nakamoto was recently finishing delicate negotiations with MicroCon, US high tech company, about take-over, which is something that influential and ambitious US senator John Morton (played by Ray Wise) opposes, considering it a potential threat to national security. Nakamoto is, on the other, hand very keen to suppress the scandal and it used its big clout to arrange Connor, a man who had spent years living in Japan and knows Japanese culture very well, as part of investigation. Connor soon uses his knowledge and experience to become senior partner to Smith and their work point to victim’s boyfriend Eddie Sakamura (played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), Japanese playboy connected with yakuzas, as likely suspect. His guilt seems all but assured when they are given actual video recording of the event, but Connor is sceptical and hands the recording to digital video expert Jingo Asakuma (played by Tia Carrere), which suspects that the it was doctored in order to hide identity of the real culprit.

Michael Crichton was credited as screenwriter, but he abandoned the project during production, unhappy with creative decisions by Kaufman and his co-writer Michael Backes. Apparently worried that the accusations of racism could be torpedo film’s prospects in politically charged atmosphere following L.A. riots, Kaufman decided to tone down much of the book’s anti-Japanese sentiment and, just in case, make Connor’s partner black instead of white. While some of those decisions were legitimate and even beneficial for the film, at least in case of Wesley Snipes delivering good role where he displays both his acting and martial arts abilities, they didn’t compensate for Kaufman’s often messy and pretentious direction that makes Rising Sun, with its complex plot, sometimes too confusing for ordinary audiences. This culminates in weak and somewhat anti-cathartic ending. In the meantime, Kaufman tries to maintain attention of audience (or at least its male segments) by something that was becoming favourite feature during that stage of his career – erotic scenes with plenty of female nudity.

However, it is a very good cast that actually keeps Rising Sun above the water. Sean Connery, who was also an executive producer, shines in his role, delivering charisma and intelligence and credible ability of his old character to win with brain as easily as his characters were winning with brawn in younger days. His “buddy buddy” dynamic with Snipes is more than adequate, although the model of their characters’ relationship is based on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, very much like protagonists of The Name of the Rose. The rest of the cast is solid, especially Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa whose character, despite starting as menacing Japanese villain, becomes likeable before the end, partly on the account of his partial Americanisation during long stay away from home. Harvey Keitel is also solid in the role of openly bigoted LAPD Lt. Tom Graham. Steve Buscemi is, on the other hand, wasted in blink-and-you-will-miss-it role of sleazy newspaper reporter.

Rising Sun, despite poor reviews, made solid business at box office, but it is nowadays almost forgotten. It is partly due to its script being embarrassingly wrong in predicting real life economic and geopolitical trends, including Japanese Lost Decade and actual threat to American post-Cold War hegemony developing in another Asian country. On the other hand, Rising Sun was more precise in guessing some disturbing future trends, like development of deepfake videos and other forms of high-tech manipulations with facts.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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