Sophie and the Rising Sun

Sophie and the Rising Sun is an evocative period drama set in 1941, director and screenwriter Maggie Greenwald crafts a beautiful, touching story of forbidden love, prejudice, and honor that spans cultures and continents. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Augusta Trobaugh.

The stellar cast features Julianne Nicholson, Takashi Yamaguchi, Margo Martindale, Diane Ladd, Lorraine Toussaint, and Joel Murray. The central performances from Nicholson and Yamaguchi, as Sophie and Grover, are persuasive in depicting a love that grows amid the confines of societal expectations and racial prejudice.

In the sleepy, small-town setting of Salty Creek, South Carolina, forever spinster Sophie Willis (Julianne Nicholson) leads an uncomplicated life. She enjoys tending to her garden, painting, and immersing herself in nature’s offerings. However, her seemingly serene existence takes a turn when she finds an Asian man, Grover Ohta (Takashi Yamaguchi), beaten nearly to death in her garden.

Grover, a Japanese-American artist, has fled the chaos of looming World War II, only to find himself in a town equally wrought with bias and fear. As Sophie nurses Grover back to health, a surprising bond blossoms between them, under the watchful gaze of the community, and more specifically, a group of older townswomen, the intriguingly named 'Salty Creek Fishing and Bridge Club.'

Margo Martindale delivers an unforgettable performance as the sharp-eyed, and sharper-tongued Anne Morrison, who often distributes grocery items to the town's residents. Presenting a mix of Southern charm and manipulativeness, she embodies the community's contradictions of hospitability and prejudice in equal measure. She, along with the rest of the club, act as the town's self-assigned moral custodians.

Contrasting with this, the considered and nuanced friendship between Sophie and Salty Creek's African-American housekeeper and healer, Salome (played wonderfully by Lorraine Toussaint), personifies the tapestry of female solidarity and racial tension cross-stitched into the story. Their alliance presents an insightful perspective on the intersection of race, femininity, and societal confines during the period.

As Sophie and Grover's relationship deepens, the cloak of secrecy under which they have nurtured their association begins to unravel. Greenwald skilfully weaves a tale of love blooming in the backdrop of fear, with the onset of Pearl Harbor and the ensuing hatred against the Japanese community in rural America serving as a harsh juxtaposition.

Julianne Nicholson gives a career-defining performance as Sophie, poignantly capturing the complex layers of her character's evolution from a quiet spinster to a woman who boldly starts to defy societal norms for love. Takashi Yamaguchi, as Grover, aptly communicates through his nuanced performance that language barriers do not limit the human connection.

The cinematography by Wolfgang Held gorgeously captures the charm and tranquillity of the Southern landscapes and deftly contrasts it with the forced calm that prevails in the community's tense atmospheres. Sophie and the Rising Sun is as much a visual treat as it is an exploration of societal structures and human relationships.

Diane Ladd also stands out portraying Ruth Jeffers, an elder lady filled with warmth and wisdom, offering her home's sanctuary to Grover, despite the town's escalating disapproval. This acts as a critique of America's alienation policies during the World War era, presenting us with the characters staying true to their morals, in the face of overwhelming bigotry.

The themes approached in Sophie and the Rising Sun – racial prejudice, societal expectations, and love transcending societal norms—are as relevant today as they were then. Does the remote town of Salty Creek, trapped in the throes of its prejudices, ever recognize the benign and beautiful association between Sophie and Grover as love? Without giving away spoilers, it's safe to say that the viewers are left with a profound understanding of human relationships and the power of love amidst turmoil and adversity.

Sophie and the Rising Sun offers an intimate narrative enveloping its viewers with its slow-paced storytelling style, meticulous detailing, and mesmerizing performances. A compelling period drama that offers a perspective on love, race, and societal constructs, the film is a haunting reminder of a swathe of American history and a testament to the power of love and humanity.