"What do you get when you cross the Red Scare with UFOs?" So asks the person who provided this viewing experience, and we have our answer in no time. I note how "bamboo" in the name is especially stylized during the opening credits, making the word itself seem threatening and ominous as it is given an extra large, very red typeface, and made to appear like small bamboo chutes. This comports neatly with the stock footage that greets us right away, and the "special effects" that look right out of an Ed Wood feature; this independent 1968 movie has more in common with low-grade B-flicks of the 50s than anything else. Add, for good measure, a line at the end of the opening credits inviting the good will of fringe conspiracy theorists, and before 'The bamboo saucer' has even properly begun it seems pointedly dubious.
In the earliest scenes of the feature we're presented with a kernel of an idea that would have made for a more earnest and interesting film, much like 2015 horror flick 'Pod' - that is, the risks and real-life harm in which belief in pseudoscience and conspiracy theories can result. But then, we wouldn't have quite the same genre romp on our hands, would we? More to the point, if there were a mind here for sincere storytelling, then the writing team and producers wouldn't have taken every opportunity to expound on all the glorious joys of The United States Of America on one hand, and the grim, terrible, valueless evils of Red China on the other hand, as if there were never was and never could be any comparison between the two. (Insert a voiceover from Ron Howard saying: "There is.") Further hammering home that bent, the screenplay ensures that every word of dialogue spoken by the Soviets, let alone the Soviet characters generally, are made to seem extra threatening and imposing, and any references to them or the Chinese are underhandedly racist and xenophobic; meanwhile, American characters or their allies are mostly painted as polite, well-mannered good ol' boys. Frank Telford, as director, also accentuates the slant by guiding his actors into affirmation of the same ugly prejudices. All this, on top of the apparent (one would hope facetious) intent of validating fringe conspiracy theorists, makes the picture all the more laborious to watch, to say nothing of still other indelicacies including sexism, tinges of a flimsy romantic element, and some distinct ham-handedness and Movie Magic.
If one can somehow overlook the predominant tawdriness, or at least acknowledge and compartmentalize it, then in fairness it's not all bad. The filming locations are lovely, and the production design and art direction are reasonably if variably solid (the earthly structures look great; the UFO a little less so). For that matter, everyone operating behind the scenes turned in good work, including the costume design, and practical effects; Hal Mohr's cinematography is quite nice. Telford's direction is fine from a technical standpoint; though often guided to ends that raise a skeptical eyebrow, I think at least some the cast give capable performances, including James Hong in a relatively early (supporting) role, Vincent Beck, and Lois Nettleton. (Though perhaps Telford's oversight is to blame, or the tack of the screenplay, other actors such as John Ericson, Dan Duryea, and Rico Cattani quite seem to be overacting.) And hey, while filled with unsavory flavors from the outset, the writing ultimately has some worth, too. The broad strokes of the storytelling are rather strong, in fact, with admirable themes of international cooperation, and such value gradually trickles down to the dialogue, characters, and scene writing that are otherwise characterized, in the most general of terms, with some swell ideas (albeit, also adjoined with some abject nonsense). Would that the feature hadn't made such a point from the beginning to zero in on the most questionable facets of the scenario that it possibly could have. (Nothing fosters cooperation quite like mutual demonization of third party.)
When all is said and done, I don't think 'The bamboo saucer' is altogether bad. The problem is that, frankly, it tried very hard to be. If anyone involved in shaping this picture had approached it more mindfully, and reined in its worst indulgences (above all its heavy-handed doses of jingoism, racism, xenophobia, and otherwise prejudice), then the end result would have been significantly improved. It would still be a silly genre romp reflecting outdated conceptions of filmmaking and storytelling, but it would have at least been more thoroughly genuine as it aimed, at length, to inspire. Instead it comes off as endeavoring to throw in every trace of unseemly biases that it could along the way to that same endpoint. Suffice to say that unless you're a huge fan of someone involved there's surely no reason to go out of your way for this, and one way or another there's a lot of inelegance one must abide. Yet it's at least about on par as far as sci-fi adventure dramas go from the 60s, and no matter what aspect one is assessing, there are definitely worse things to watch. 'The bamboo saucer' is more a partly regrettable curiosity than anything else, but if you do have the chance to check it out - well, be prepared, but have fun.
In the earliest scenes of the feature we're presented with a kernel of an idea that would have made for a more earnest and interesting film, much like 2015 horror flick 'Pod' - that is, the risks and real-life harm in which belief in pseudoscience and conspiracy theories can result. But then, we wouldn't have quite the same genre romp on our hands, would we? More to the point, if there were a mind here for sincere storytelling, then the writing team and producers wouldn't have taken every opportunity to expound on all the glorious joys of The United States Of America on one hand, and the grim, terrible, valueless evils of Red China on the other hand, as if there were never was and never could be any comparison between the two. (Insert a voiceover from Ron Howard saying: "There is.") Further hammering home that bent, the screenplay ensures that every word of dialogue spoken by the Soviets, let alone the Soviet characters generally, are made to seem extra threatening and imposing, and any references to them or the Chinese are underhandedly racist and xenophobic; meanwhile, American characters or their allies are mostly painted as polite, well-mannered good ol' boys. Frank Telford, as director, also accentuates the slant by guiding his actors into affirmation of the same ugly prejudices. All this, on top of the apparent (one would hope facetious) intent of validating fringe conspiracy theorists, makes the picture all the more laborious to watch, to say nothing of still other indelicacies including sexism, tinges of a flimsy romantic element, and some distinct ham-handedness and Movie Magic.
If one can somehow overlook the predominant tawdriness, or at least acknowledge and compartmentalize it, then in fairness it's not all bad. The filming locations are lovely, and the production design and art direction are reasonably if variably solid (the earthly structures look great; the UFO a little less so). For that matter, everyone operating behind the scenes turned in good work, including the costume design, and practical effects; Hal Mohr's cinematography is quite nice. Telford's direction is fine from a technical standpoint; though often guided to ends that raise a skeptical eyebrow, I think at least some the cast give capable performances, including James Hong in a relatively early (supporting) role, Vincent Beck, and Lois Nettleton. (Though perhaps Telford's oversight is to blame, or the tack of the screenplay, other actors such as John Ericson, Dan Duryea, and Rico Cattani quite seem to be overacting.) And hey, while filled with unsavory flavors from the outset, the writing ultimately has some worth, too. The broad strokes of the storytelling are rather strong, in fact, with admirable themes of international cooperation, and such value gradually trickles down to the dialogue, characters, and scene writing that are otherwise characterized, in the most general of terms, with some swell ideas (albeit, also adjoined with some abject nonsense). Would that the feature hadn't made such a point from the beginning to zero in on the most questionable facets of the scenario that it possibly could have. (Nothing fosters cooperation quite like mutual demonization of third party.)
When all is said and done, I don't think 'The bamboo saucer' is altogether bad. The problem is that, frankly, it tried very hard to be. If anyone involved in shaping this picture had approached it more mindfully, and reined in its worst indulgences (above all its heavy-handed doses of jingoism, racism, xenophobia, and otherwise prejudice), then the end result would have been significantly improved. It would still be a silly genre romp reflecting outdated conceptions of filmmaking and storytelling, but it would have at least been more thoroughly genuine as it aimed, at length, to inspire. Instead it comes off as endeavoring to throw in every trace of unseemly biases that it could along the way to that same endpoint. Suffice to say that unless you're a huge fan of someone involved there's surely no reason to go out of your way for this, and one way or another there's a lot of inelegance one must abide. Yet it's at least about on par as far as sci-fi adventure dramas go from the 60s, and no matter what aspect one is assessing, there are definitely worse things to watch. 'The bamboo saucer' is more a partly regrettable curiosity than anything else, but if you do have the chance to check it out - well, be prepared, but have fun.