quneur
Member
A 1950's movie about the 442nd Regiment consisting of Japanese Americans during WWII.
I'm watching it now and so far I'm impressed with the realism they put into the film, namely the vocabulary. The film depicts the tensions between a white officer and Japanese American GI soldiers. It also depicts the differences between Japanese from Hawai'i and the mainland.
Inserted in the film are words I learned while living in Hawai'i, yet didn't know the origins. 'Katonk' descriped Japanese from the mainland which originated from two coconuts rapped together. This I didn't know. The Japanese in Hawai'i use it all the time though.
'Kanaka' means man and 'wa'hine' means girl (when the ukelele player sings). Both are Hawai'ian words.
The one exception is 'Budda head'. Despite references in the film, its a term used for Chinese.
'Bakatari' means fool in Japanese and is not normally used in pigeon english. The pigeon is fairly accurate. Only a local boy can differenciate between an actor trying to speak pigeon and the real thing. There are several local boys in the film.
I'm enjoying the film so far. I read it was nominated for an Academy Award.
I'm watching it now and so far I'm impressed with the realism they put into the film, namely the vocabulary. The film depicts the tensions between a white officer and Japanese American GI soldiers. It also depicts the differences between Japanese from Hawai'i and the mainland.
Inserted in the film are words I learned while living in Hawai'i, yet didn't know the origins. 'Katonk' descriped Japanese from the mainland which originated from two coconuts rapped together. This I didn't know. The Japanese in Hawai'i use it all the time though.
'Kanaka' means man and 'wa'hine' means girl (when the ukelele player sings). Both are Hawai'ian words.
The one exception is 'Budda head'. Despite references in the film, its a term used for Chinese.
'Bakatari' means fool in Japanese and is not normally used in pigeon english. The pigeon is fairly accurate. Only a local boy can differenciate between an actor trying to speak pigeon and the real thing. There are several local boys in the film.
I'm enjoying the film so far. I read it was nominated for an Academy Award.
