The scenes in question should have been reshot
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jane_bront — 10 years ago(September 13, 2015 12:51 PM)
When I was a kid in the 70s I rather liked him in the "Andy Hardy" movies made in the 30's - although I find it hard to sit through any of them now. And then there was his role in
Boy's Town
starring Spencer Tracy.
Rooney sporting those exaggerated buck teeth in BAT is what made the portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi seem like it was mocking Japanese men in general. Or was the intention for just Mr. Yunioshi
the character
to be mocked? - like some of the silly people at Holly's party or Holly Golightly herself for that matter? Was Yunioshi simply a super goofy character who just happened to be Japanese? Because there isn't anything about his reactions to Holly's disturbances that are intrinsically Asian or Japanese.
To be honest the character didn't personally offend me, a non-Asian, to the point that it took anything away from this delightful movie as a whole, although I think it would have been less offensive to most if the role had been played by an Asian actor without any exaggeration of his features.
There were a few Yunioshi moments that I did find funny and enjoyable:- the way he says in his first scene, "Some day, Ms. Golightly! Some day."
- "You got to have a key made!"
- when Holly is in the hallway with Jose the wealthy Brazilian and Yunioshi is just glaring down at them with water dripping from his face onto the bannister.
- "I'm going to call the police on
you!" - when Yunioshi is pointing out "that woman, there!" in Holly's apartment when the police arrest her and Paul and then he was still fussing self-righteously after they all had gone.
Beyond this I don't see the role as Oscar-worthy and I'm surprised that anyone else did.
Btw, Yunioshi was the landlord? I confess that as many times as I've seen the film I missed that little fact!
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degree7 — 11 years ago(January 05, 2015 11:59 PM)
I just wish they'd cast an actual Japanese(?) ethnic to portray the character. I read that the producer wanted to do that, but the director kept Mickey Rooney on, I guess for the comedy factor.
~ I've been very lonely in my isolated tower of indecipherable speech. -
jmielee — 10 years ago(November 14, 2015 04:56 PM)
I am asian too and I love the film but Mickey's character made me extremely uncomfortable. His character looked grotesque and not even human. His appearance was very similar to those yellow peril propaganda. And his character was pretty much irrelevant to the overall plot of the film.
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Sox575 — 9 years ago(September 28, 2016 01:40 AM)
Interesting points. I think it would've been funnier if an Asian actor portrayed the character like Jack Soo did in "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
Otherwise I can see how some people are offended by Rooney's characterization. I didn't find it upsetting being Asian myself.
But'Cha Are, Blanche! Ya'Are In That Chair! -
chungmusic — 9 years ago(October 28, 2016 03:55 AM)
I've a pure Asian pedigree as well, and I've lived in Asia since I was born, and I do NOT deem it offensive but amusing. I would've bemoaned it if it was done with bad intentions, but it was not. Hence, it did not offend me at all.
One day in the year of the fox came a time remembered well