Review of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) by Benjamin F — 19 Nov 2009

When I first saw this film in mid early 90's I was taken a back by the overall intelligence, accuracy and impartiality of the piece. Certainly as War films go, this is one of a few greats that take the subject as it is rather than imprinting their own bias upon it.

Told from both sides and culminating with a spectacular recreation of the assault on Pearl Harbour, this movie, a joint project between the U.S. & Japan, actually manages to patray the Japanese in a remarkably good light, considering their role in the story, whilst the patrayal of the peace time U.

S. as stratigicly lazy and overly beurcratic, effectlty aiding the attack on Pearl Harbour by failing to protect or adiquately anticipate the attack is both true, very poiniant and relevant, even today.

This film, along with "The Longest Day" are two movies not to be missed. My only real critique and the reason that I haven't given it 5 stars, is this. The build up to Pearl was first rate, tense and gripping, but the attack fails to have the same commitment.

We witness many of the engagements in the battle but are not really given enough information about what we're watching and the effects of each. That's not to say that it is confusing, but it doesn't have the same attention to explaining the details as the first half of the film.