Review of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) by Ashley H — 10 Jun 2007

This film tells the story of the attack by the Japanese Navy on an unsuspecting Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The film is balanced insofar as it's perspective, being told from both the Japanese and American sides.

The storyline begins pretty much with decision by the Japanese government that, unless negotiations with United States were to take a decidedly different direction, there would be no choice but to go to war.

It follows the planning of the attack by Admiral Yamamoto and his staff. Concurrently, it shows that the negotiations between the two countries was not going well at all. Depicted are the dreadful decisions made by the US Commanders at Pearl Harbor, ignoring of evidence that an attack was imminent, the lack of coordination in communications that resulted in huge delays in receiving crucial information and ignoring the incoming Japanese raiders after they were spotted on American radar on their way in.

The actual bombing and combat footage is well done. The acting is superb by entire stellar cast. Overall, if you want to know how a tragic event came to be, this film will explain it. It is historically mostly correct, although some artistic license was taken, for sure.

Overall, an excellent production!