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Only The Brave

Only the Brave
Only the Brave Poster Small.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Lane Nishikawa
Produced by Karen Criswell
Eric Hayashi
Jay Koiwai
Lane Nishikawa
Screenplay by Lane Nishikawa
Starring Tamlyn Tomita
Lane Nishikawa
Greg Watanabe
Music by Kimo Cornwell
Cinematography Michael G. Wojciechowski
Edited by Chisako Yokoyama
Distributed by Indican Pictures
Release date
  • February 17, 2006 (2006-02-17) (DisOrient Asian
    American Film Festival)
Running time
99 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Only the Brave is a 2006 independent film about the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated World War II fighting unit primarily made up of "Nisei" Japanese Americans, which for its size and length of service became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. The film, produced and directed by Lane Nishikawa is a fictionalized account of the rescue of the Lost Battalion.

In 1953, Jimmy Takata (Nishikawa) suffers from "battle fatigue" (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), to the great concern of his wife, Mary (Tomita). Raised in Hawaii, Takata and some of his friends enlisted in the 100th Battalion, serving in the European Theater of Operations. In a series of flashbacks, he remembers the war and events in his life surrounding it. Following a head injury, he begins to have visions, and believes that he is seeing memories of other men, including his friend Freddy Watada (Watanabe) as he courted Mary (who would later be Jimmy's wife) before entering the Army. Freddy receives a "million-dollar wound" (one which is serious enough to require evacuation to the United States, but not permanently disabling), and he shows Takata an engagement ring, purchased before being sent to Europe, which he intends to give Mary upon his return.

Takata's concern about the visions is dismissed as disorientation caused by the head wound by "Doc" Naganuma, the unit medic, a Medical Doctor who had likewise joined to help his friends. Takata also has a vision of his father, a Buddhist priest in Federal custody, and who tells him "You must accept your fate, here"—pointing to his head -- "the rest of you will follow, here," pointing to Takata's heart. Takata later learns that his father has died, 49 days earlier. Buddhists believe that a spirit will enter Heaven or be reborn 49 days after death.


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Wikipedia

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