Tora! Tora! Tora!

Rating:
Summary: Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!-
Review: -the english translation of the title.

Tora! Tora! Tora! was the japanese code signaling the Japanese naval officers to proceed with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Another reviewer claims that the word can also mean kill, although I can't confirm that. This movie only won an academy award for best visual effects in 1970, most other awards going to Patton that same year. The movie was directed by three men, was based on two books, one of the same title written by Prange, the other written by Farago and entitled The Broken Seal: operation magic and the secret road to Pearl Harbor. The movie is somewhat unbiased in that both sides' reactions and story are represented. The quote from Admiral Yamamoto which dramatically ends the movie was never said by him: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." Awake, though, the Americans, they sure did. I didn't realize how significant the damage done was until I saw this movie. A sizable number of the Pacific fleet was benignly lingering in Pearl Harbor that Sunday morning and sunk or left in flames a few hours later as the Japanese airmen flew back unscathed to their base. However, as another Japanese commander noted, none of the American aircraft carriers were there. The American side was beset with communication problems of various sorts with too many men crying wolf weeks before the attack. I'd like to read the books or those of others to understand what exactly happened on the American side that resulted in this "day of infamy". I did like this docu-drama, accurately reliving that fated day.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: After seeing Das Boot for the first time recently, my interest was piqued for another WWII movie. I remember when Tora! was in the theater while I was in high school...and that I had no interest in seeing it at the time. This is a serious-minded, fact-based film of epic proportion. It has similarities to Das Boot in that part of the story is told from the US enemy's point of view. And, oddly enough, I found the structure of the film to be somewhat reminiscent of The Deer Hunter, or even King Solomon's Mines [1950], in that there is a long, detailed build-up of the story prior to any action sequences. And once the action arrived, I sat there thinking, "How did they do this?" Especially considering the fact that this was 1970. But the biggest reward for me is the story itself, and the non-Hollywood way in which it is told here. No one would get financial backing today for a film of this expense coupled with such a non-fiction approach.

Rating:
Summary: Great war epic on America's "Day of Infamy"
Review: Despite being filmed over 30 years ago, this classic war film remains THE definitive Hollywood version on the attack on Pearl Harbor. The planes look great, the direction (both the American and Japanese) is flawless, and the action is still very impressive. Also, the cast is typically great for a war epic, with Joseph Cotten, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, and Jason Robards, among many others. The Japanese actors are likewise great. This is one of those rare war movies that honors the courage and determination of BOTH sides. That, and the historical accuracy (for Hollywood) is why this remains such a popular movie. The music by Jerry Goldsmith works perfectly for the movie. This special edition dvd has a great picture quality (and is widescreen, thank goodness), a documentary "Day of Infamy", the original trailer, and commentary by the director Richard Fleischer and Japanese film historian Stewart Galbraith. There's no better time to watch this than on Dec. 7, so if you don't already own this gem do yourself a favor and buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Unsurpassed
Review: I just watched Tora! Tora! Tora! for about the fourth time, after being away from it for about 10 years. This is done in documentary style, and according to the commentary basically all incidents are true.

I had a chance to see part of the filming in 1969, on North Cane Street in the town of Wahiawa. We watched with fascination as one scene was shot over and over again. This was a street allegedly in downtown Honolulu. The young man delivering the telegram to Fort Shafter is pulling out of the alley on his motorcycle. Then the camera catches the Japanese zeros flying overhead, signifying that it is too late for telegrams. The person who actually delivered the telegram in his youth was a Mr. Fujimoto, who was on the set as a consultant. Unfortunately, almost the entire sequence was left out of the final cut.

Despite this, both the film and the DVD extras get five stars. The short called "Day of Infamy" adds to the film and clarifies specific historical points. And the running directors commentary explains the obstacles that had to be overcome in this joint U.S.-Japanese effort, including the different cultural perspectives in how to put everything together. Plus that, it explains many technical details that went into making the film.A valuable resource for amateur and professional filmmakers alike.

The feature and the DVD extras can be enjoyed at different levels and be revisited over and over. I myself spent over 5 hours in one day going through the whole thing. The film is an excellent supplement to documentaries that use real footage. Definitely an educational experience.

Rating:
Summary: Still the Only Fine Film Rendition of This Infamous Attack
Review: If you viewed the recent "Pearl Harbor," which makes the attack a backdrop to a romantic love triangle, you won't be disappointed with this original version of the dastardly Japanese sneak attack on the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I had the immense good fortune to see it again with some survivors after revisiting the Arizona Memorial in my hometown of Honolulu. It registered with me as deeply as when it premiered 35 years ago. You will find in this film a concerted effort to faithfully re-chronicle the events leading up to the attack from both the Japanese and American sides. Lacking film stars, the historical tale is allowed to stand on its own with some roles played by actors who actually resemble their real-life counterparts. Moreover, the film included actual aircraft and facilities from that era rather than relying on models or replicas. It avoids the dry documentary style while unfolding disparate events in an easy-to-follow sequence. The attack through the beautiful mountain ridge along the west coast of O'ahu (over what is now Scofield Barracks) is accurately depicted (an area, incidentally, now off-limits to civilians) and enhances the sense of brutal shock of it all on what would have been just another tranquil Sunday morning in paradise. Yet the directors resist the tawdry temptation to overdramatize events, instead allowing the diplomatic intrigue and military planning to speak for themselves. In doing so, the directors enable Admirial Yamamoto's prophetic words at film's end to have a greater impact, serving as a sober reminder of how Japanese jingoism subdued better strategic reasoning. [P.S. this was the not the first attack on American soil since the Revolutionary War, as an official reviewer with obviously limited historical understanding noted].

Rating:
Summary: How Does it Compare with "Pearl Harbor?"
Review: If you were not entirely pleased with the recent "Pearl Harbor," then "Tora Tora Tora" might be more your style. The title is taken from the code issued by the Japanese Air Task Force Commander when he saw while approaching Pearl Harbor that they had achieved complete surprise against the Americans.

Very good movie of epic proportions, featuring a large assembly of vintage aircraft, and the production filmed on location at Oahu. There's no love story, the operation itself and historic events leading to the attack are the main features.

Most interesting is the movie comprised of two productions, a collaboration between Americans and Japanese to achieve an accurate depiction of the event that brought America into World War II. Almost a documentry in style.

The portrayal of Admiral Yamamoto's profound remark about awakening a "Sleeping Giant" at the end of the movie has a much higher impact on viewers when compared to the contemporary "Pearl Harbor."

Fans of naval history will enjoy this one. This version does not follow-up with Colonel Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, but you can try "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" with Spencer Tracy to see another depiction of that operation.

Rating:
Summary: If you want the Pearl Harbor attack on film, this is it!
Review: In 2001, the movie Pearl Harbor came out. It was overhyped, was a waste of money & talent and ended up being a really dumb love story with the Pearl Harbor attack as it's backdrop.
But you still have Tora Tora Tora to look forward to!!!
Tora Tora Tora is still the champion movie when it comes to the Pearl Harbor Attack! It's very accurate, great acting, & very realistic all around.
And best of all, it doesn't have a sappy love triangle & doesn't have half-brain actors like Ben Affleck.



Rating:
Summary: Recreation of Dec. 7 attack, told by both sides. Grade: A
Review: One of the most expensive films ever made ($25 mil in 1970 dollars), Tora, Tora, Tora crisply tells of the dawn attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Both sides handle their own filming, with Richard Fleischer directing the US segments and Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda directing the Japanese (Akira Kurosawa was originally slated for this job). The first half is a tense build up showing the Japanese resolve and the lax standards of the US Army and Navy stationed at Pearl. The second half features one of the most awesome battle creations ever committed to film with Rising Sun dive bombers and fighters devastating airfields and Battleship Row (a true, white-knuckle spectacle). The destruction of the Pearl base seems so complete that it's sobering to see the closing scenes where a few Japanese commanders are not so sure that they did a thorough enough job to stay on top of the US militarily. Great, if sparse Jerry Goldsmith score (suite available on Uni/Varese Sarabande; ASIN: B00000150U); tight, often black writing by Larry Forrester, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni; special effects by L. B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers (the film won deserved Oscars for Visual Effects); cast includes an impressive list of character actors, including Jason Robards who was actually at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. END

Rating:
Summary: Codename: Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!, the best recreation ever...
Review: Some of you younger movie-goers, may only know of "Pearl Harbor".

Forget it!

If you want to have the actual story of what "really" happened on December 1941, then you have to go back to this movie made in 1970.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" is a vision from both sides of the coin, not just the American one.

"Pearl Harbor" is more a love story in its context and has only one vision, the unilateral and unnecessary patriotic American one.
This is not history as it should be told.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" was the codename given by the Japanese fleet to its carrier pilots to start the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This is far less a shooting war movie, than an actual historic recreation of facts happening on a certain month, week, day and moment in 1941.

Everything is told, from the burocracy involved (slow at that, as usual), to the actual military decisions on both sides and on the ground.

The attack, when it comes, is a majestic recreation that, once watched side by side with the actual documentary footage available, makes you realize that were it in black & white, one could not distinguish its differences.
That's how accurate it is!

Expenses were not spared at all in doing this recreation. The aircraft used are all faithful reconstructions (a rarity!).

All the actors involved (American and Japanese) have played their roles with outmost accuracy and sense of drama.

The watcher is taken in and left wondering "what next", even if he already knows the story. Not a moment passes in boredom.

This is another fine movie I would recommend for schools and war museums.

It is a movie for thinkers, not warmungers, and it is certainly not one for those who always love to wave flags around.

In other words, this is history, told at its best.

Rating:
Summary: "Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy"
Review: Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 was a very fateful day for the USA. Without warning, the then militaristic Empire of Japan launched a highly successful sneak attack upon America's Pacific naval fleet based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 21 naval vessels were sunk or severely damaged and nearly 200 aircraft (mostly on the ground) were destroyed. Of the approximate 2,350 servicemen (naval, marine & army) and 49 civilians killed (a total of 2,409), 1,177 died on the USS Arizona alone. Another 1,178 servicemen & civilians were wounded. The next day, war was declared by the U.S. on Japan following a moving speech by President Franklin Deleno Roosevelt.

29 years following the attack (1970), directors Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Masuda and Akira Kurosawa (who left the film before its completion) created a gripping dramatization of the events leading to and portraying the attack on Pearl Harbor in the film entitled "Tora! Tora! Tora!". The film does a superb job of trying to portray actual historic events by splitting its time almost evenly between both the US and Japanese sides. On the US side, are Adm. Husband E. Kimmel (Martin Balsam), Adm. 'Bull' Halsey (James Whitmore), Gen. Short (Jason Robards), Lt. Comdr. Kramer (Wesley Addy), Secretary of War Henry Stimson (Joseph Cotten) and Secretary of State Cordell Hull (George Macready) to name a few. On the Japanese side are Admiral Yamamoto (Sô Yamamura), Cmdr. Genda (Tatsuya Mihashi), Lt. Cmdr. Fuchida (Takahiro Tamura), Adm. Nagumo (Eijirô Tono), Gen. Hideki Tojo (Asao Uchida), Ambassador Nomura (Shogo Shimada) and Ambassador Saburo Kurusu (Hisao Toake) to name a few. One aspect of the film that helps to maintain its staunch realism is that scenes with only Japanese actors use Japanese dialog with English subtitles rather than dubbing the English or having the Japanese actors speak in English with Japanese accents. Another strength of the film is that is does not focus on one or two specific characters; instead, it allows viewers to see what happens with many characters.

Memorable scenes in the film include Ambassabor Kurusu signing the Tripartite Pact in 1940, internal politics within the Japanese government & military, poor decisions made by the U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, geisha girls waving at practicing Japanese pilots, scenes involving Ambassador Nomura with Secretary Hull, the Japanese crews preparing for the attack and the attack itself. Admiral Kimmel was in charge of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, General Short was in charge of the army forces. Admiral Yamamoto was in charge of planning the attack, but the Japanese attack fleet was under the command of Admiral Nagumo. The pilot in charge of the attack itself was Lt. Cmdr. Fuchida.

Since "Tora! Tora! Tora!" was filmed in 1970, the special effects (which used a lot of models) may seem dated to people who prefer advanced computer graphics, but don't let lack of special effects technology deter you from enjoying this very gripping film. The acting in the film is very good, keeping the viewers engaged while watching the events leading up to the attack, as well as the attack itself. The attack itself is portrayed very well, as are the various mistakes made by U.S. forces in Pearl Harbor prior to the attack. Overall, I rate "Tora! Tora! Tora!" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it.

In comparison with the 2001 film "Pearl Harbor", "Tora! Tora! Tora!" is the superior of the two for being far more historically accurate and focusing on actual historic events. In spite of using great special effects for the attack on Pearl Harbor itself, the 2001 film "Pearl Harbor" was extremely disappointing for essentially being a soap opera focused primarily upon a purely fictitious & melodramatic love triangle.