Matthew D
Joseph Cotten steadfastly leads this incredibly detailed and accurate account of Pearl Harbor!
Directors Toshio Masuda, Kinji Fukasaku, and Richard Fleischer’s Japanese-American historical war drama epic Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) is fascinating. Two Japanese directors helm the Japanese perspective leading up to and depicting the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Richard Fleischer directs the American perspective of the United States Navy getting attacked by blindside at Pearl Harbor. Tora! Tora! Tora! is a real cinematic achievement with a large scale for planes, ships, ensemble, and other props. It’s an astoundingly detailed movie recreation of exactly how the tragedy of Pearl Harbor occurs. It’s funny seeing the fast paced Japanese segments gearing up for organized battle and the lackadaisical Americans unprepared for attack. The ferocious Japanese attack against the unprepared Americans with their planes out in the open is pretty wild to think about, let alone see in a film. Tora! Tora! Tora! is definitely worth seeing at least once for clarity on how Pearl Harbor happened.
This feels very fair, detailed, and engaging with real hindsight from writers Ryūzō Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, and Larry Forrester. You really get to the heart of what caused the attack, tensions increasing, American distrust from within the government and military, Americans removing precautionary measures to see an attack coming, broken communications between American military personnel, a lax attitude towards the possibility of attack, as well as Japanese admirals trying to broker peace to prevent an attack prior which fails, then Japan escalates their warmongering violence into the Pearl Harbor attack. Once hostile actions start, America could not get their plane up in the air soon enough, while also getting mixed messages from their command. It’s wild to see a depiction that America’s torpedoes were not as accurate as the precise Japanese torpedoes and pilots.
Joseph Cotten, Martin Balsam, and Jason Robards are quite engaging and sympathetic for the American actors. Sō Yamamura, Tatsuya Mihashi, and Eijirō Tōno are compelling as the hardened Admirals of Japan. Takahiro Tamura is entertaining as the Japanese pilot like Shōgo Shimada’s Japanese Ambassador to America.
Editors James E. Newcom, Pembroke J. Herring, and Shinya Inoue deftly cut between America and Japanese with a swift ease and for coherent viewing. Cinematographers Shinsaku Himeda, Masamichi Satoh, Charles F. Wheeler, and Osamu Furuya capture beautiful wide shots for every scene to let us see everything at once. It’s certainly intense witnessing a portrayal of the Japanese pilots attacking their “lightning attack” with the code name Tora Tora Tora, hence the title.
Composer Jerry Goldsmith’s ominous film score is aptly foreboding and exciting. Whether he’s musically building up to the attack or during the action, Goldsmith adorns Tora with a fearsome score. Sound design noises by Herman Lewis, Douglas O. Williams, Shin Watarai, James Corcoran, Theodore Soderberg, and Murray Spivack provide roaring waves, exploding torpedoes, and whizzing planes in the air. Makeup artists Daniel C. Striepeke and Layne Britton really make everyone look like the early 1940’s.
Overall, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a riveting and massive 144 minutes that show every bit of history involved before and during the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/07/25
Full Review
Rosana B
Chato, chato, chato… "Foi elogiado por sua precisão histórica e atenção aos detalhes, seus efeitos visuais e suas sequências de ação.” Com cinco indicações ao 43º Oscar. Entretanto, nenhuma dessas situações o tornou menos enfadonho parta nós simples mortais, que só queremos um pouco de entretenimento e distração, não um banho de realismo frio e seco, exceto para os que buscavam "fonte 'segura' sobre o ataque a Pearl Harbor" Longo, detalhada, ritmo lento, diálogos extensos, sono...
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
08/14/24
Full Review
M H
Tora Tora Tora is one of the best movies I've ever seen, especially for a war movie. It's one of my all time favorite movies. The acting was excellent. The story was brilliantly told, and the film editing should have won an oscar.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
06/21/24
Full Review
Joel H
Possibly the best war movie ever made. No CGI, and historical accuracy above and beyond any other movie.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/28/24
Full Review
Blu B
A classic war flick. It's the second half that really saves this. Solidly edited, paced, and acted well. The cinematography is really good and the special effects are absolutely jaw dropping. It's incredible watching the destruction and grand scale of the attack. That being said most of the problems this film has are in the first half. It's VERY dry and stale until the intermission. The music isn't bad but is barely used and really needed to be used more especially in the first half to help make this less dry. It feels like your watching a doucmentary simliar to All the Presidents Men type of style. I will say this is extremely accurate to what actually occured and doesn't sensaionalize anything and sticks strictly to the facts. For better or for worse. Also, it needed even more of a star studded cast to really help make these performances stand out and more memorable as some are more stand out than others. It can get very in the weeds with every little minute detail and while thats appreciated, I feel there are certain things that could've been cut to help speed things up or more importantly make it less dry. This really needed a Speilberg type of human connection in the first to truly make it incredible. That being said, it is 100% worth it to sit through the slog because the second half is incredible and some of the best special effects I have ever seen. This is defintely for people who want to learn more for education than entertainment about Pearl Harbor, as well as war movie fans, and any fans of any actors in this. If there is ever a case for staying with a ok movie the whole way, this is it.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/13/24
Full Review
Jim P
This is the best movie about the Pearl Harbour attack. Seen from both American and Japanese points of view. Lots of detail and great action scenes!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/02/24
Full Review
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