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A Canadian ThereWolf
11-27-2001, 03:54 PM
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
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Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku & Toshio Masuda (Japanese Sequences) and Richard Fleischer (American Sequences)
Written by: Larry Forrester, Ryuzo Kikushima, and Hideo Oguni
Tagline: The Attack On Pearl Harbor.
Starring:
Martin Balsam.....Admiral Husband E. Kimmel
So Yamamura.....Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
E.G. Marshall.....Colonel Rufus G. Bratton
Tatsuya Mihashi.....Cmdr. Minoru Genda
Jason Robards.....Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short
Critique: **** Out of five.

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941. A Date Which Will Live In Infamy, The United States Of America Was Suddenly And Deliberately Attacked By Naval And Air Forces Of The Empire Of Japan."
-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Address To Congress on December 8, 1941.

With one week left until the video cassette and DVD release of this Past Summer's war epic "Pearl Harbor", I decided to review what many call the definitive film about the events of Dec. 7, 1941.

First off let me say that this is a great film to begin with, it chronicles the REAL events and people who were involved with the massive attack that thrust the US overnight into global conflict.
Second, it's free from partisan, it's told by both the American and Japanese sides.
And third the Tremedous bombing sequence is spectacular, although many great actors contribute superb performances, they are over shadowed by the technical brilliance of the attack itself!

Although it does take until the near 90 minute mark to reach the attack, the events leading up to it are interesting and unlike this Summer's "Pearl Harbor" they aren't marred by a cliched love story.
Which many people say was "Pearl Harbor"'s greatest flaw. Which in my opinion made it ("Pearl Harbor") seem like a cross between this film and "Titanic".

As said earlier, the acting is top notch Balsam is great as Kimmel, but it's Jason Robards that somehow stood out in my mind, partially because he gives a great performance and partially because he was actually at Pearl Harbor!
And Yamamura as Yamamoto gives a haunting performance, and the film's final line delivered by him will stay with you, "I Fear All We Have Done Is To Awaken A Sleeping Giant And Fill Him With A Terrible Resolve!"

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" may not be the greatest film made on the subject of WWII, but it certainly is a fine film to watch!
This is the way that the attack on Pearl Harbor was meant to be seen.

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**ThereWolf Is Good, ThereWolf Is Wise!!**

[This message has been edited by A Canadian ThereWolf (edited 11-27-2001).]

Philip Marlowe
11-29-2001, 06:19 PM
Great review A Canadian ThereWolf I bought this one on DVD about a month ago without having seen it and what a great surpirse it was, when I watch it I thought it was going to be glamourized but it was nothing of the sort also Akira Kurosawa the great Japans director help write the Screenplay .the whole movie from beginning to end stayed as true to the events as possible. The DVD tranfer is awesome and the acting as you said is superb. I think if you like this movie you should rent MIDWAY another great War movie that tells the story of what happens after the bombing of Peral Harbour.

A Canadian ThereWolf
11-30-2001, 04:43 PM
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Philip Marlowe:
I think if you like this movie you should rent MIDWAY another great War movie that tells the story of what happens after the bombing of Peral Harbour. </font>

Good Idea, ThereWolf hasn't seen "Midway" in over a decade!
Maybe he'll rent it tonight!