Blu ray review: Blood on the Sun

When James Cagney left his longtime home studio Warner Bros, it was to make independent films for his producer brother William. This allowed Cagney to branch out away from the tough guy persona in unlikely vehicles like Johnny Come Lately (1943) and the screen version of William Saroyan's Time of your Life (1945). But he did play the tough guy in the Cagney production Blood on the Sun (1945), which has been released to blu ray by Kino Lorber.

Made near the end of WW2, it is filled with anti-Japanese sentiment, with Cagney as a cynical crusading reporter in Tokyo trying to uncover underground danger. Cagney gets to do some judo here (which he studied carefully before doing the film) and the film is generally exciting and compelling. Robert Armstrong, Sylvia Sidney, Wallace Ford, Porter Hall, and Rosemary DeCamp also appear.

Blood on the Sun is an interesting period piece, revealing the attitude and sentiment of the period. Perhaps that makes it seem a bit dated, but when dealing with film history, a film like Blood on the Sun needs to be availble for our better understanding of an era that has passed us by. While there are some unsettling examples of white actors playing Japanese characters, the film does employ several Asian actors, including Phillip Ahn, Joseph Kim, Hugh Ho Chang, and Grace Lem.

Kino's bluray is a 2020 HD Master by Paramount Pictures which was made from a 4K Scan of the 35mm Nitrate Materials. It features an audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff.

The film is available at this link: BLOOD/SUN