13 Jan Tora! Tora! Tora!
Tora Tora Tora, WWII Movie
(1970) This historical film was made by American and Japanese filmmakers working together to show both sides of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. It was shown recently on the Military Channel as part of its “An Officer and a Movie” series.
The Japanese had been told that they would hear the code words “Tora! Tora! Tora!” if they were successful in making the raid a total surprise. I thought it was very interesting to watch the chain of mistakes that caused this disaster.
Tora! Tora! Tora! was a history lesson. The Japanese pilot Genda who had been the mastermind was a technical advisor. I am sure that the families of those who died and those who were involved in the snafus found it hard to sit through the nearly 2 1/2 hours. Two of the American commanders who were blamed right afterwards were years later absolved, at least partly, after all the facts came out.
Film critic Robert Ebert called the movie “one of the deadest, dullest blockbusters ever made.” He said that “John Wayne’s World War II flicks may not have been masterpieces, but at least they had sand and sky in them, and heroes, and girls.”
I disagree, Robert. I thought it refreshing not to have the distraction of a love story, added in just for the ratings. Even though I knew what was coming, the suspense was palpable. And yes, it was okay that none of the “stars” were heroes. The real heroes were the men who fought and died that day.
This movie was not a big hit in America. It was much more popular in Japan. I’ll bet it was. I can just hear the hooping and hollering when the planes took off from the Japanese carriers and when they pummeled Pearl. The last scene showed the Japanese Commander-in-Chief saying …
I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) at amazon.com
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