Product Description

A Jewish matron falls in love with a Japanese widower.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9787 in VHS
• Released on: 1994-04-21
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 149 minutes

Customer Reviews

A heartwarming story
This movie is truly hopeful and uplifting.
Roz Russell ( Mrs.Jacoby) plays a Jewish American widow who's son was killed by the Japanese during WW11.
She,her daughter and son-in-law take a ship to Japan because the son-in-law is to play a part in the trade relations
conference between the Japanese and U.S.
On board ship she is introduced to a widowed Japanese businessman Koichi Asano ( Alec Guinness)who will lead the Japanese contingent in the trade negotiations.Mr.Asano's wife
was killed at Hiroshima.
Mrs.Jacoby is polite but very cool towards Mr.Asano at their initial meeting,but over time and several chance encounters
these two people overcome their hostilities and prejudices to
see each other as gentle loving human beings.
Both Russell and Guiness exude such warmth and charm that it is
understandable how these two people from seemingly diverse
backgrounds could develop tender feelings for each other.
As an aside,look for Russell getting a little tipsy while
at Mr.Asano's home.
This is definately a two thumbs up movie.
PLEASE bring it out on DVD.

Heartwarming and thought-provoking; pure enjoyment
Although it is difficult at first to picture Alec Guinness as a distinguished Tokyo businessman, you soon begin to accept his character. I was skeptical of this movie when instructed to view it by my mother. However, just a few minutes into the story, I found myself hooked. Rosalind Russell is believable as the wise and loving Mrs. Jacoby. Alec Guiness is an acceptable post WWII Japanese business man although you want to tell him to quit squinting. Overall, the movie is a guilty pleasure on a cold or rainy Saturday afternoon.

After 43 years, I finally got to see the end
Back when I was 16 or 17 years old, I came home late one night after a date, and turned on the TV. A Majority of One was on, and I was soon wrapped up in the story. Believe it or not, as a teenager, I was totally enthralled by this story of a romance between two aging people of different cultures.

But, I came from a very strict family, and my parent's bedroom was in earshot of the TV. I knew if I woke them, I'd be in big trouble. So eventually, I got too nervous to enjoy the movie, and went to bed. But, I never forgot the movie, and always wanted to see the end.

Then one day recently, I suddenly thought about it, and realized I could probably buy it online. I couldn't remember the name of the movie offhand, but I did a search on Alec Guiness, and recognized the title when I saw it.

So, I finally got to see the end. I won't tell you the end, but I will say it was worth the wait. This is a sentimental movie, true, but it also has a number of ideas that work through it. (You remember ideas...) One of the themes, stated in other reviews, has to do with racism. Then there is main theme that, if you are right, and the rest of the world is wrong, then you form a majority of one. Great idea! And there's the idea that mature people should be respected because they have more experience in human relations than young people.

Funny thing is, my mother watched it with me, and loved it even more than I did. It was fun to watch it together as two adults, after my past history with the movie.

Okay, accepting Alec Guiness as a Japanese gentleman is a bit of a strech. But just the scene with Rosalind Russel standing pigeon-toed in a kimono is worth the price of the movie.