Blood on the Sun

Released Apr 26, 1945

1h 38m

War

List

80%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

35%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Reporter Nick Condon works for a newspaper in Tokyo and publishes a story exposing the Japanese government's imperialist plans. When government officers seize the newspaper, Nick finds himself at the center of a cover-up led by ruthless Premier Giichi Tanaka. Harried by Col. Hideki Tojo and Capt. Oshima, Nick goes on the lam, meets a mysterious woman and has a dramatic confrontation on his way to the American Embassy.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Exhibits its era's lamentable parlances, yellowface performances and pretext of thrills to assure Americans that atomic bombs were of material use. Neither is a surprise, but that leans its legacy toward Hollywood indignity over journalistic integrity.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 10, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Some historical facts find their way into this film, but the most important fact is this: Not even the combined might of the Japanese empire in the years prior to World War II could stand up to a typically spunky James Cagney and his fists of fury.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 17, 2024

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 29, 2005

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Bryant Frazer

Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2003

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Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rated: 4/5

Nov 7, 2003

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ed m

Great movie. Over looked gem. Cagney is the best.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Despite the wrong depictions of unintelligence and stupidity aimed at the Japanese, this is still a great action/mystery movie with James Cagney perfectly cast as the hot-headed newspaper man. Other than the typical racism towards the Japanese, this movie does not have many similarities among most wartime propaganda films. Therefore, I would consider this movie to be unique and well-worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The film just about works well enough in its historical context of pre-warmongering Japan, without this reference there's not really much impact value to the storyline, although James Cagney does well enough with his character who fends off the unwanted attention his newspaper article has brought him.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Blood on the Sun (1945) What can I say, but this is an American war movie and propaganda piece to get you in the mood for enlisting or at least buying war bonds. It's quite weird to see all of the asian characters as white people in "Yellow Face" make-up, but the characters (even the bad guys) are pretty well fleshed out. The movie is more anti-fascist than anti-Japanese. Nick Condon (James Cagney) is a newspaper correspondent in Tokyo before the Pearl Harbor attack. He did a stint in China a little before the Japanese occupation, so nobody is fooling him. He's seeing the right-wing militaristic take-over of the Japanese government. His news stories are having problems with the censors, especially the recent news about Prime Minister Giichi Tanaka's (John Emery) plan for world domination to where he's trying to sneak information out of Japan, despite the efforts of Hideki Tojo (Robert Armstrong). There's also a cute female spy. There was a Tanaka Plan that the Chinese Communists printed that implicated Emperer Hirohito.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An American newspaper editor working in Japan between the two world wars must stay alive in order to warn the world of Japanese plans for global domination after he lands on a document unveiling such plans. This Cagney vehicle is hardly a stand out, with its patriotic undertones and superficial characters, but there is still some appeal in the lighting and the fast paced editing. As well as that, Blood on the Sun is arguably the first American produced martial arts film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

dave j

Monday, September 12, 2011 (1945) Blood On The Sun THRILLER/ WAR ESPIONAGE Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, some American newspaper men working in Japan knew about the attack before it even happened, this is one of those stories! Using fictional characters that may be based on fact, James Cagney stars as Nick who somehow gets caught in the middle of all of this when some close friends are mysteriously killed because of their involvement, to prevent leaking information out- from the invasion of China to the planned attack to the United States of America! Seems somewhat historical in a fictionize way, this film was also known for James Cagney's getting his black belt as judo/ karate martial artist and it really shows! His brother William Cagney produced it so it kind of makes sense! The copy I watched it had a bad recording transfer but I was still be able to make it out! 3 out of 4

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Frank Lloyd

Director

James Cagney

Nick Condon

Sylvia Sidney

Iris Hilliard

Wallace Ford

Ollie Miller

Rosemary DeCamp

Edith Miller

Robert Armstrong

Col. Hideki Tojo

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Synopsis

Reporter Nick Condon works for a newspaper in Tokyo and publishes a story exposing the Japanese government's imperialist plans. When government officers seize the newspaper, Nick finds himself at the center of a cover-up led by ruthless Premier Giichi Tanaka. Harried by Col. Hideki Tojo and Capt. Oshima, Nick goes on the lam, meets a mysterious woman and has a dramatic confrontation on his way to the American Embassy.

Director: Frank Lloyd
Screenwriter: Lester Cole
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: William Cagney Productions
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 1945, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2016
Runtime: 1h 38m

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