A Powerful Story
Starring Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox, EMPEROR tells the story of General Douglas MacArthur and Brigadier General Bonner Fellers in post-World War II Japan, and their critical mission to determine the fate of Emperor Hirohito. The film is part historical drama, part detective story and part romance, as the uncompromising General MacArthur oversees an investigation that will help shape the future of Japan, and the pragmatic Fellers confronts his personal past through the lens of a war-torn nation.
History shows that the decision to not indict Emperor Hirohito for war crimes was strategically sound, but politically unpopular, and it presents intriguing comparisons to situations the United States faces today. In bringing the little-told story of Fellers’ investigation of Hirohito to life, EMPEROR humanizes the strategic political decision that led to the reemergence of Japan’s global presence in the 20th Century.
So, what can we take from this story of success? In a post-war era, what is our moral obligation to the nations we leave behind?
