Across the Pacific (1942)

Dr. Lorenz: "Relationships between young Americans seem most peculiar to a man of my years. You give your lovemaking an assault-and-battery twist. Living in the Far East has given me a more or less Oriental view of things."

By John Huston
With Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet

I think I found Across the Pacific while going through Humphrey Bogart's filmography looking for new films.

The movie takes place in November 1941 in the highly historical context of World War II, the USA have not yet entered the war. Rick Leland is kicked out of the army with a dishonorable discharge. With very little scruples for any ethical questions, he goes straight up to Canada trying to get enrolled in their army. He is quickly rejected as armies tend to avoid those who were kicked out of their previous army. Rick imagines that Japan will not turn him down and he embarks on the first boat to Japan, from Halifax. A journey that will take him first to New York and then to Panama in order to cross to the Pacific Ocean. However, on board there are a few other passengers and they all seem to have very diverse activities to their agenda.

Across the Pacific is one of these movies that seems a little rushed in order to be the most accurate and contemporary to a periodical context. It somehow gives it a political agenda which must have been amazing to watch at the time but feels a little outdated when watched so many years after, many movies done during WWII used that concept but somehow Across the Pacific didn't age as well as the other. The plot is a good mix of espionage and war. The best part is probably the mystery of each character and their real motivations.

I liked: The acting, the mystery, the context.

I disliked: Comes out mostly patriotic and quite anti japanese. Well, there's actually no Pacific Ocean involved.

70/100
I wish they gave it more time because it had great potential, it remains a good movie, especially if one sees it with the 1941 world context in mind.