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Tora! Tora! Tora! Actors: Martin Balsam, Sô Yamamura, Joseph Cotten, Jason Robards Directors: Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Masuda, Richard Fleischer Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Closed-captioned, THX, Dolby, Widescreen Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Running Time: 149 minutes Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-05-25 Buy from Amazon |
 "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!-"-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.  "One of the most realistic film depictions of Pearl Harbor..."Nominated for five Academy Awards (most of them related to effects and visuals), and winner of the Oscar for Special Visual Effects, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a true Hollywood blockbuster. Long before the star-studded, over-hyped Disney film Pearl Harbor, film creators gave us a much better picture of the events surrounding December 7, 1941. Often shown on the History Channel, Tora! Tora! Tora! almost fits the definition of a documentary. The film doesn't employ sideshow tricks such as love triangles (i.e. Pearl Harbor) in order to create audience interest. In fact, few of the actors stand out on their own. Instead, each character plays his part as it most likely unfolded in real life - and the real life version of Pearl Harbor is interesting enough on its own... Tora! Tora! Tora! originates as the Japanese call sign for a full-fledged attack on the American naval installation at Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese Empire continues its expansion throughout the Asian-Pacific realm, the United States institutes economic sanctions. As further divisions threaten to bring about war between the two nations, Japanese admirals convene in order to plan a surprise preemptive attack on the United States Navy in the event that war becomes inevitable. Among those present is Admiral Yamamoto (So Yamamura) who agrees to carry out the plan, but as a man who studied extensively in the United States, he believes his fellow countrymen underestimate the resolve and the industrial might of the American people. Nonetheless, the Japanese continue their surveillance of Pearl Harbor with a plan to annihilate the US Navy and its vital fleet of aircraft carriers. Meanwhile, certain people in Washington are intercepting coded messages between the island of Japan and its ambassador to the United States. As the rumor of a Japanese attack begins to take hold, officials attempt to convince the top leaders in the chain of command. But the idea of such a bold and unprovoked attack is difficult to comprehend. When the Japanese arrive at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, they realize their plan has worked well. They achieve total surprise, and the call of Tora! Tora! Tora! goes out to the fleet, launching a second wave of attack planes. The Japanese attacks sink several battleships, but not a single carrier (the carriers unexpectedly left the harbor to practice maneuvers). Threatening to annihilate Pearl Harbor, the Japanese are unexpectedly called back by a conservative admiral, leaving the scene before than can inflict maximum damage. The mistake is eloquently expressed by Admiral Yamamoto who fears that his countrymen have "only managed to awaken a sleeping giant"... Despite its 1970 release date, Tora! Tora! Tora! remains a wonderful film that can hold its own in the special effects department with any modern day blockbuster. In fact, the older camera technology makes the scenes subconsciously feel more realistic than modern day films such Pearl Harbor. If you're looking for a good, suspenseful movie (and one which teaches history too), then you'll be hard pressed to find a better option than Tora! Tora! Tora! One of the best war films of all time, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a definite must see film... The DVD Report "Landmark half-Japanese/half-American production"Tora Tora Tora" is a classic WWII film, and probably the most honest in its portrayal of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is the kind of film that gets shown in history classes in High School, which is where I saw it for the first time. The half-American/half-Japanese production is a shinning example of dedication to the facts over dramatic license when telling a historical story. The dual production shows heroes and incompetents on both sides of the conflict. While the proposed David Lean/Kurosawa Akira film never came to pass (And what a movie that would have been!), directors Kinji Fukasaku ("Battle Royale") and Richard Fleischer ("The Vikings") do their able best. Fukasaku maintained the integrity of the Japanese side production, and it is almost shocking to see Japanese people acting like actual Japanese people in an American war film, rather than as stereotyped monsters or amusing caricatures. He had little control over the final product, however, as all editing was done on the American side, and Fleischer simply removed any of the footage that he didn't like. The DVD for "Tora Tora Tora" is a real treat. The new 20-minute documentary, "Day of Infamy," discusses the historical accuracy of the film, with several University professors weighing in. The commentary track is excellent, with a dialog between director Richard Fleisher & Japanese film historian Stuart Galbraith ("The Emperor and the Wolf.") Kurosawa-expert Galbraith details the behind-the-scenes troubles with Kurosawa that led to his removal from the film, although, perhaps in respect to his commentary partner, he does not mention Kurosawa's dissatisfaction with the American director. The commentary is much more involved with the filmmaking process itself, rather than the Pearl Harbor attack, and is a nice compliment to the more-focused documentary.  "An Historical Achievement, But Lacks Character and Pacing"There are many things for which TORA, TORA, TORA is worthy of praise. It is an historically accurate film and many regard it as a triumph of history over Hollywood entertainment. For all of those who have recently trashed films like THE PATRIOT and U-571 for the ridiculously one-sided storylines they offer, this is the film they are looking for. TORA, TORA, TORA provides a balanced perspective on the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese are depicted as real human beings in this film and we are reminded of the reasoning surrounding their attack. On the flip side, the lack of American concern and preparation is communicated as well, suggesting that some of the damage incurred on that day was due to mismanagement problems. I was quite impressed with the way that a balanced history manages to come through in this film. Additionally, I was struck in awe at several points (such as when the Japanese planes are taking off from their aircraft carriers) and was forced to imagine what it must have been like to have witnessed it. However, for all of its achievements, I question TORA, TORA, TORA's effectiveness as a motion picture. For my money, I would rather see character development and a personalized story in a major motion picture. As some reviewers have commented, the only real star in the film is the special effects during the battle sequence. Essentially, TORA, TORA, TORA feels like a documentary. Of course, isolating personal stories during a war can lead to over-the-top, feel-good-about-America pictures and I am certainly not recommending these types of films. But one does not have to sacrifice interest and character development when making an historically accurate film. Moreover, TORA, TORA, TORA seemed far too long. Several scenes could have been effectively edited down to a fraction of their length and the battle sequence at the end, while thrilling, is painfully long. In this way, the film manages to convey the depressing magnitude of the attack simply by making us watch it for thirty minutes. Another example occurs during a scene I enjoyed in which the Japanese airplanes are taking off from their aircraft carriers. The scene is beautiful, particularly with the sun just beginning to rise on the horizon. But did we have to see every plane take off? Is five minutes of planes taking off the most effective use of time? I do not think so. Overall, TORA, TORA, TORA is a great achievement in historical accuracy and I think it should be shown in history classes. I just do not think it will be shown on my own television screen that often. It lacks the character development, emotion, and pacing to deserve that honor. "I Fear All We Have Done is Waken a Sleeping Giant..."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. |
