Tora! Tora! Tora!

Rating:
Summary: For those who prefer history to Hollywood.
Review: The 2001 blockbuster "Pearl Harbor" was more about Hollywood than history, a passionate love-triangle forming an important part of the story-line. The 1970 flick "Tora! Tora! Tora!" offers a rather different story of the same event, one devoid of soap opera, romance, blood and gore, but one that is far more true to history. The account of traditional historians is followed, rather than that of revisionists who claim that President Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the attack but knowingly sacrificed his Pacific fleet as an excuse to enter the war. All the incidents and details are apparently historically documented from ship logs and other records, and the focus on a historically accurate movie is evident from the opening statement which affirms that all events and characters are true to historical fact. Certainly the movie breathes authenticity in every respect. Remarkably, it presents both sides of the Pearl Harbor tragedy of December 7, 1941: American and Japanese. To accomplish this, there was a collaboration of two production teams involving American and Japanese film-makers. And the results are convincing: unlike Hollywood's 2001 "Pearl Harbor", the Japanese side is presented accurately and fairly, with even the dialogue in Japanese (with English sub-titles) - the title itself referring to a Japanese word for "attack!" If there is any bias, it is present in minimizing Japanese aggression, but most would agree that it the movie gives a fairly accurate picture. The end result is a documentary-like movie, with the convincing aura of historical fact.

The story of course revolves around the events of the Japanese attack on the US naval fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to the United States declaring war on Japan in the Second World War. The attack featured tactical brilliance and surprise, and was a great success. In less than two hours, Japanese planes armed with torpedoes sunk or seriously damaged 18 warships, destroyed 188 aircraft and damaged another 159, killed 2,403 and wounded 1,178 American military personnel. Fortunately for the Americans, their aircraft carriers escaped damage only because they were not in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack. Japanese losses comprised only 29 planes and pilots, five midget submarines and one large sub with their crews.

The largest part of the movie focuses around the politics and preparation for the attack, and consists mainly of dialogue. Numerous historical personages play a role, and viewers are given some insight into Japanese-American relations before the attack. Of particular interest are several scenes featuring Japanese ambassadors and politicians, showing that even amongst the Japanese there were different attitudes towards US-relations. Alongside hard-liners who advocated aggression, there were also pacifists who truly wanted to strive for a peaceful resolution. The suspense gradually builds as the foundations are laid for a surprise attack, and as the US ignores the warning signs of impending danger. The final part of the movie features an extensive and convincing reenactment of the attack itself. The movie's G rating is somewhat deceiving - while there is no real blood and gore as such (although there are a few rare instances of blasphemy/profanity), viewers are treated to multitudes of spectacular explosions. There are also some delightful scenes of a dramatic aerial dog fight. All in all it's a breath-taking and fitting climax, and even by today's standards features pretty impressive cinematography and action. The exaggerated emotion of Hollywood is absent, but in many ways this enhances the historical record rather than blurs it with sensationalism.

The fact that events are presented more clinically and coldly means of course that Tora! Tora! Tora! lacks the human element that is present in films like 2001's Pearl Harbor, and there is no real sense of what it was like from the perspective of the soldiers. But by sparing viewers of sensationalized stories of individuals, we get a more overall picture with a real sense of what it was like from the perspective of the military leaders. It is not so much the story of personal successes and failures, but the failure of the United States military as a whole. In the process, numerous surprising facts are revealed for those not very familiar with the historical events of the Pearl Harbor tragedy. Three such facts struck me: Firstly, the fact that the success of the Japanese was due in part to a comedy of errors by US intelligence in failing to properly anticipate the oncoming attack, and that the US navy was unprepared and defenseless largely through its own fault. Secondly, the fact that the Japanese showed restraint by deciding not to launch as many waves of attack as initially planned. Thirdly, the fact that rather than revel in victory, the Japanese commander-in-chief was most displeased that the carefully planned timing went wrong (Washington received the planned ultimatum an hour after the attack rather than half an hour beforehand), because he realized that it would just infuriate the United States all the more: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

If you want be wowed by Hollywood's fancy special effects, horrified by Hollywood's blood and gore, and cry over Hollywood's romantic soap opera, go watch 2001's "Pearl Harbor". But for those who want a tribute to history's real story, you need look no further than 1970's "Tora! Tora! Tora!" If there are weaknesses, it might be that the acting is not always convincing, and that this is a story that is so objective and filtered of bias that it lacks the human element. But soap opera doesn't have to be present to make an movie enthralling - the suspense and the chronicle of real events is enthralling in itself, and the final action scenes of the air attack are remarkably real and heart-stopping. And all the more powerful because they reflect history. For most of us, history is to be preferred over Hollywood any day.

Rating:
Summary: Best portrayal of Pearl Harbor
Review: The attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday December 7, 1941 was one of the most signifcant events of the 20th century. It secured US entry into World War II which in turn helped in the victory in Europe over Nazi Germany.

A key feature of this movie is that it was a joint American-Japanese production and hence gives both perspectives and a balanced picture of the story. It is both a historically accurate account of the events and also a gripping and watchable film.

The first half of the movie maps out the events leading up to the attack, the question of why it happened is an important point for any event in history but particularly in this case.
The movie's second half is a stunning recreation of the devastating battle. Considering when it was filmed the effects of the battle compare favourably with those of the far more recent Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bay.

Rating:
Summary: I Fear All We Have Done Was to Awaken a Sleeping Giant
Review: There are not many movies that portray the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as anything but what it was--a carefully planned massive assault on a totally unprepared United States naval base. TORA TORA TORA is not Hollywood's typical war movie that places character exposition at the forefront. Here directors Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku for the Japanese and Richard Fleischer for the United States detail a film that is more documentary than character driven. Yet, despite this sense of hidden-camera reality that focuses on all ranks from admiral to seaman, the actors succeed in infusing the film with a feeling that on both sides there were no heroes or villans. In fact, if there is any villainy, it is not the attacking Japanese who must wear the mantle of evil but rather the slipshod arrogance of those who were entrusted to defend Pearl Harbor against just the kind of annihilation that struck on that Sunday morning in December, 1941. The Japanese side is told primarily through the perspective of Admiral Yamamoto (So Yamamura), who was in overall command of the attack fleet, and Lt. Commander Fuchida (Takahiro Tamura), who was one of the Zero pilots on the first attack wave. Yamamoto is a cautious commander, one who has no political agenda, but is determined to carry out his objective exactly even if it means not taking advantage of unexpected opportunities to wreak further destruction on American ships. He will preserve his fleet above all else. Fuchida has a much more narrow view; when he sees that a second attack wave is needed to finish the job, he is appalled that Yamamoto has instead ordered the fleet to return to Japan. Neither of them is presented as the stereotyped buck-toothed sabre-rattling Jap so often presented in a previous generation's war movie. Each in his own way is strictly business. The American side is anchored by Martin Balsam as Admiral Kimmel and Richard Anderson as Captain Earle. Kimmel is a competent commander who discovers too late that bureaucratic bungling of misguided messages can have the most tragic of consequences. When the attack begins, he is stunned but quickly organizes what defenses he has. The fall guy is Earle, who might have gained a precious few hours of advanced warning had he heeded the implications of frantic radio messages suggesting an attack was imminent. Yet, Earle is a one-dimensional stick man who collectively symbolizes the head-in-the-sand myopia that then afflicted US military intelligence about the oncoming Rising Sun whirlwind.

TORA TORA TORA is a film of rapidly shifting points of view. The first three quarters is a microscopic analysis of the events preceding the attack. The Japanese are seen as supremely confident that they will achieve total surprise. In fact, when the first Zero fighters are in view of Pearl, they are astounded to note that not one shot has been fired at them. An American radar station operator notes that his radar screen shows a massive inflight of unidentified planes, but a call to his superiors results in his being told not to worry. The American fleet and dozens of combat planes are neatly stacked in rows, just waiting to be picked off. The Americans, by contrast, are blithely oblivious to what now seems like unmistakable warnings of looming disaster. In Washington, Japanese ambassadors Nomura (Shogo Shimada) and Kurusu (Hisao Toake) wait patiently outside the door of Secretary of State Cordell Hull, knowing full well what was then occuring on the other end of the world. For the briefest moment, Nomura is seen as a man who is profoundly saddened that he is a forced puppet mouthing words of a futile peace.

All of the behind the scenes style of film making is needed as a segue to the catastrophic air assault on Pearl. The attack, which lasts for an extended thirty minutes, is stunningly effective, even more so than the computer-enhanced graphics of the recent remake with Ben Affleck. Essentially, the Japanese airplanes swoop down and destroy both docked ship and arrayed plane. The return fire is piecemeal. Here and there is a spirited ra-ta-ta by a lone America gunner. The surprise is complete. Three battleships are sunk, and nearly every plane is destroyed on the ground. These scenes of carnage are difficult to watch, yet they serve to remind us that eternal vigilance is needed for a proud country to survive. The dramatic focus of the movie is not on the destruction of the Pacific fleet at all, but surprisingly on the Japanese view of that destruction. The Japanese had intended to declare war first, and then to attack, but a bungling on their part reversed this order. A despondent Admiral Yamamoto concludes the film by noting to his otherwise jubilantly cheering subordinates: "I can hardly imagine a way that is more likely to infuriate the Americans. I fear that all we have done was to awaken a sleeping giant." TORA TORA TORA is unique among war films in that it shows that even in war, there are men of good conscience who are caught up in matters over which they have very little control.

Rating:
Summary: I Fear All We Have Done is Waken a Sleeping Giant...
Review: These words are spoken by Adm Yamamoto at the end of the film whne he has learned that that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that he planned was even more successful than they had hoped in their wildest dreams...and yet the American aircraft carriers were not there. Thus, this film which shows the planning and execution of the attack, ends on a note of simultaneous Japanese exaltation and foreboding about the future.
This film is a must for anyone who cares to be an informed citizen. It not only about the past, but also about the present (for example 9/11): what a bold thinking group of men can accomplish if they put their minds to it, the complex relations between the United States, Japan and their neighbors like China and Korea, national arrogance and overconfidence ("it can't happen here"), looking for scapegoats after a disaster, and much more.
From the cinematic viewpoint, the battle scenes are just breathtaking, especially the attack on Hickam Field were we see aircraft blowing up right and left and the air battles where two incredibly brave American fighter pilots take on the whole air fleet that carried out the attack returning to their aircraft carriers. I also love the scene where we see the Japanese strike force taking off from their carriers just as dawn is breaking. E G Marshall puts in a fine performance as Col Rufus Bratton, an American intelligence officer who is convinced that the Japanese are going to attack, as he is trying to awaken the military establishment in Washington to the danger. Also Jason Robards does a good job as the hapless General Walter Short who is in charge of defending Hawaii from naval and air attack (Robards was actually at Pearl Harbor during the attack so I am sure he had no trouble "getting into" the part!). Having real Japanese actors speaking Japanese (unlike the movie "Midway") gives the film a real feel of authenticity.

Having said these good things about the film, I would like to point out a few weaknesses (1) I can't understand why the American naval personnel are always shown wearing their white dress uniforms-it makes them look silly, (2) this film was made in 1970 when the US was bending over backwards to be nice to Japan because of the Cold War and the unpopularity of the presence of the American military bases in Japan resulting from the American war in Vietnam. As a result, they repeated the line which was propagated at the time, saying that the Japanese intended to present a declaration of war before the attack commenced (the typists supposedly worked too slowly and so it was finally presented to Secretary of State Cordell Hull AFTER the attack). In reality, the infamous "14-part message" Ambassadors Namura and Kurusu were supposed to deliver was NOT a declaration of war at all, but simply an announcement that the Japanese were breaking off negotiations. Also, the film claims that Emperor Hirohito was personally opposed to going to war with the US, but being a "prisoner" of the cabinet, had no choice but to go along with them. It is now widely believed by historians that the Emperor was, in fact, a strong supporter of Japanese aggression. Also, there is some evidence that he was personally involved in war crimes. However, all this was hushed up after the war in order to make the American occupation of Japan run smoothly, and this film simply continues this line.
One important point to keep in mind is that, although FDR did want to get the US into the war with Germany, he most certainly did NOT want to get into war with Japan if he could help it. A war in the Pacific would only divert resources away from the European Theater of Operations, which he viewed as most important. This conclusively disproves the conspiracy theories that claim the FDR deliberately left Pearl Harbor undefended in order to shock the American people into going to war.
In spite of these criticisms, I still rate the film as 5-stars.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly THE greatest film ever made
Review: This in-depth portrayal of the infamous December 7, 1941 attack on the US Navy Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor is possibly one of the most researched and accurate historical films ever produced. It provides a magnificent viewing experience, and despite not having the fancy and exuberant special effects that the recent flick "Pearl Harbor" was filled with, it is possibly the most enjoyable war movie you can watch. Unlike the more recent film, which was undoubtedly directed at today's younger crowd, who (aside from myself and those like me) are less interested in history and more interested in lots of explosions and sweet tender emotions, this film did not blaspheme the attack by turning an account of it into a stupid love story. It's just the politics, strategies, mistakes, and triumphs that made December 7, 1941 the saddest day in American history up until September 11 of 2001.

One of the greatest aspects of this film is that it sheds light on the absolute brilliance of the Japanese Naval strategists. Admirals Yamamoto and Nagumo and Commander Genda were three of the greatest military leaders/strategists of World War II, and possibly, of all time. The film presents the attack not as a barbaric act of unprovoked massacre, as most Americans would like to think it was, but rather, as a decisive military move in the better interests of Japan. After all, as (the character who played) Yamamoto stated in the film, the Americans would have been (and proved to be) the most difficult enemy that Japan had ever fought. The attack was basically an act of desperation, as the warmongering Japanese Army, who controlled politics, blatantly rejected the Navy's pleas to avoid a war. I was very happy to see this film treating the brilliant Japanese planners and pilots not as the heartless murderers that many ignorant Americans see them as, but rather as the national heroes that they had become for Japan by acting in what they believed was the best interest of their nation. After all, isn't that how we think of our soldiers? If it isn't, then we need to sit down and examine our conscience.

Even without the jazzy special effects, this film recreates the combat scenes very well. Unless you're a computer geek who believes that special effects make a movie and the story line is just there for the hell of it, you won't notice any problem with the explosions and aerial combat. In fact, the replica Japanese aircraft (BT-13s and AT-6s modified to look like A6M 'Zeke' [Zero] fighters, D3A1 'Val' dive bombers, and B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers) and American P-40s engaging in actual aerial maneuvering was much more spectacular than if it had been recreated on computer screens. The pyrotechnics used were fantastic as well, and the scene of a B-17 landing with one wheel up was a scene to remember. On a side note, if anyone was ever fortunate enough to catch the Commemorative Air Force's (formerly Confederate Air Force) reenactment of the attack at an air show, they actually had the B-17 "Texas Raiders" crank one wheel down and fly LOW over the runway to recreate that very scene! I'm not sure if they still do that, but that was the kind of thing that made memories!

Overall, if you want a truly unbiased account of the attack on Pearl Harbor, without the liberal twist thrown in to make it look like our brass and President were helpless victims instead of revealing the mistakes made by the top levels of our government and armed forces, then you'll love "Tora! Tora! Tora!" I recommend it to anyone with an interest in war movies, military history, naval warfare, aviation, or just plain great movies.

Rating:
Summary: Good history; good storytelling
Review: This is a movie for history buffs as well as for those that just like a good movie. It depicts Pearl Harbor with an ensemble cast, cohesive storytelling, effective special effects (even by today's standards), great cinematography, and excellent film editing. The lack of romance and other sub-plots enhances the drama and tension of the event. This is history at its finest, wrapped in storytelling as only Hollywood can do.

On December 7, 1941, 350 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy, in two waves, conducted a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Island, Oahu, Hawaii Islands. While more successful than could have been reasonably expected (who could have known that it really would take the Americans completely by surprise?), it still fell short of being decisive. The Pacific Fleet was devastated in a single air battle that lasted a bit under two hours. In that short time the US lost 21 ships sunk or damaged out of the 90 or so that were at anchor in or near the harbor, or under way near the harbor. This included all 8 battleships assigned to the Fleet. Three of these, the West Virginia, the Oklahoma, and Arizona were sunk. The West Virginia was later raised and returned to duty. Most of the other vessels, including the other 5 battleships, were eventually repaired as well. In addition to ship losses, 188 US aircraft were destroyed and another 159 damaged. Although totals vary, some reports carry human losses at 2,403 dead (including 68 civilians) and 1,178 wounded (including 35 civilians). No matter what the precise totals, they were high.

For all of this damage, it's important to understand what the Japanese missed. Neither of the two Pacific Fleet carriers (Enterprise and Lexington) was in or near port that day, so they were unscathed. Missing the carriers ultimately would prove grievous to Japanese strategy. Moreover, a third wave scheduled to hit harbor installations, repair facilities, warehouses, and fuel dumps on Oahu was cancelled.

The story of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor cannot be told effectively without providing background on why and how it came to be, and the movie does just that. The attack was rooted in the effect the Great Depression had on Japan's economy, which stimulated their desire to control the natural resources needed to fuel their economy; Japanese militant expansionism, which put them on a collision course with the US; and Japanese military culture and tradition, which made them willing to take on a world power significantly their superior and which also believed in initiating hostilities by sudden, overwhelming attack; and the war Europe.

There were many in the Imperial Japanese Navy that understood the fearsomeness of what they were getting into. Ironically, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Sô Yamamura), the mastermind of the strategy to strike the American fleet at Pearl felt this way.

The movie pointed out that the Japanese diplomatic ultimatum was not presented until after the attack started and points to this as one of the reasons behind the massive US public embitterment after the attack. Hence, Admiral Yamamoto's doleful warning (and the most memorable line from the movie), "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." (The second most memorable line is by an old man fishing while warplanes are practicing their low-level runs, "Navy pilots attract geisha girls, but they frighten the fish." It's the same all over, I guess.)

While it doesn't delve into all of the geopolitical issues as much as it could, it does provide an understanding of the events that led up to the attack and the devastation it caused, with an even-handedness that is refreshing. This starts from the very beginning of the movie where the credits are alternated between the American cast and film crew and the Japanese, and continues throughout the movie as scenes shift back and forth between the Japanese and American perspectives.

Particularly effective is how the movie builds tension as the Japanese plan is put into action, alternating between the Japanese strike force and the Americans. The Japanese fleet sails determinedly through the stormy northern Pacific while the American intelligence staff at the War Department in Washington becomes increasingly frustrated as they attempt to raise the alarm. The Americans' misguided posture is juxtaposed with the almost youthful exuberance of the Japanese flight crews and maintenance teams as they continue their training and preparation shipboard. Their enthusiasm is contrasted with the solemnity of their Shinto prayer and the tension of their senior officers. The tension mounts as the director employs the Gettysburg-esque technique of using maps to show the fleet's progress toward the Islands. It culminates in the dawn launch, with engine exhausts aflame, large formations of planes circling overhead as they form up before departing for the final air leg to their target, and the unsuspecting, unconcerned American fleet awakening on a lazy, sunny December morning in Hawaii, feeling safe.

If there is any noteworthy failing, it is that the move fails to depict the pathos of war - the overwhelming of the base (and presumably the civilian) medical facilities, the pain and suffering of incapacitating injuries, the civilian casualties, the mass of dead, injured, and struggling men in the water, the frantic attempts to escape by men trapped below decks in sunken and overturned ships.

While it provides an excellent history lesson, the movie also has the look and feel of a good story. The story it tells is two-fold. It tells of the misguided desperation of the Japanese that led them to take on the United States (if their post-war success is any standard for comparison). It also speaks to America's arrogance in 1941. We knew Japan was dangerous, but didn't expect them to come at us the way they did. Our belief in ourselves got in our way. In the end the American deaths at Pearl Harbor resulted from the failure of our imagination. We just didn't think this attack would happen.

Rating:
Summary: One of greatest war films ever
Review: This movie is right up there with band of brothers, saving private ryan, apocalypse now, platoon in terms of great war movies.

Tora really hits the nail on the head with the accurate portrayal of events leading up to the attack and really comes to a climax with the spectacular battle scene. I could not believe some of the stunts in the film...the sequence on the airstrip were real live actors or stunt men but they came so close to being killed on film it was amazing. There were planes exploding like 5 feet away from them and these guys were literally running for their lives...you actually have to pause and remember that this is a movie!

I loved the drama of the japanese actors..you can just sense the pride and mindset of the japanese warrior...I can watch tora over and over again and enjoy it just as much as the first time seeing it.

I find it ironic how japan entered the war only to force "negotiations" with the USA knowing full well they could not defeat the US military in a war. Admiral yamamoto said he could raise havoc for one year against the americans but after that it was unknown. Turned out he was absolutely correct in his prediction. I don't think Japan could have won the war even if it destroyed the aircraft carriers at pearl harbor or won at midway. Japan's objective was not to invade the USA but to control asia and all of its natural resources....Japan only attacked the USA to prevent them from interferring with their conquests in asia. Japan miscalculated that the US could not reach japan in bombing attacks they never thought they could set up bases only 300 miles away from japan....japan's navy would have never allowed it so they assumed.



Rating:
Summary: still the best
Review: This Pearl Harbor movie still remains the best treatment of the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941. What really works with this film was that both sides are accurately, fairly and without much bias, portrayed by the filmmakers. The internal struggles within the Japanese leadership as well as complacency of the Americans were clearly shown.

This movie remains totally superior to that overblown mess of the movie that came out several years ago called "Pearl Harbor", probably one of the worst movies ever made so far in this century.

It bit ironic but I thought that the Japanese scenes were done better then the American scenes. Japanese scenes seem to have more drama, better script and better direction. American scenes seem to be bit flat in many areas. The special effects for the movie still haven't aged that much. Its still as impressive as I first saw it back in the 1970s.

As for the DVD, its cheap, the anamorphic transfer proves to be quite excellent, wide screem format really helped this movie and its unthinkable to watch it in "TV format". What a waste that would be. The DVD don't have much extra outside of a short 20 minute documentary but I enjoyed the commentary by Richard Fleischer and Stuart Galbraith. The sound is in DD 4.1 and it seem to be pretty clear and strong to my humble speaker system.

Overall, a very good movie, well acted, well directed and above all, a very fair approach to the subject.