Citizen Tanouye (WGBH Boston Video DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Episode: B-
The
Robert Horsting/Craig Yahata documentary Citizen
Tanouye (2005) tells of the injustices of Japanese Internment Camps and the
title Japanese American who fought against the Axis Powers and was awarded and
recognized belatedly, posthumously for it.
While Japanese immigrants were being horded away by the U.S. Government,
others like Technical Sergeant Ted Tanouye served the U.S. itself after the
Pearl Harbor attack and helped make the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
a major player in winning the war.
While
giving us the chronology, the documentary compares and contrasts one man
fighting for everyone’s rights versus the rights of his own ethic group being
violated wholesale in a story that must never be forgotten. Younger school students do the research
uncovering what has been a known event and is in constant danger of being
repeated, especially now. All in all,
this is a solid 58 minutes more than worth your time.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is one of the first for WGBH Boston
Video and the menu gives you options depending on what kind of TV you
have. It is a welcome change, though
there are still some detail issues and depth limits. Still, it is for the better. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is also
fine. Extras include extended/bonus
scenes, trailer and a “hidden feature” also unusual for WGBH. Nice to see the upgrades.
- Nicholas Sheffo
