Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
\"Tora!\" vs \"Pearl Harbor\"
Posted by:
T R York
()
Date: May 21, 2001 05:45AM
<HTML>A lot was written in my Sunday NY Daily News about the Pearl Harbor movie. Inevitably, all other related films were mentioned and discussed. \"Tora! Tora! Tora\" was generally criticized as being \"too soft\" on the Japanese enemy, because the film told the story from both sides, culminating in the attack and it\'s immediate aftermath.
I have always felt thart this was the great strength of Tora; telling the story from both sides. I first saw it in 1970, and it was the first war film I had ever seen which humanized the enemy. Previously, Japanese were ridiculously portrayed without credibility of character, almost like comic book bad guys, which was absolutely necessary during the bond selling years, but would not be believable after the war. The eager pilot misidentifying his flagship for the Enterprise, and his subsequent teasing opened my eyes for the first time that the Japanese might actually have been people.
I\'m no apologist for the war crimes of the Japanese. I wish that they would own up to what they did like the Germans have, and not actively try to discredit books such as \"The Rape of Nanking\".
As a U.S.Navy Brat, I worship the memories of those Americans who gave their lives in defeating foes that absolutely needed to be stopped.
Still, I believe it is a serious mistake for Americans to rather cavalierly and narrow mindedly dismiss the understanding of a given war from the viewpoint of your protagonist. Lessons and insights can be readily gleaned from this.
How better to understand what was on Japan\'s mind than to read Fuchida\'s \"Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan\"? We could all learn a lesson from those who suffer \"victory disease\".
For over a century Americans from both the North and South have read the thousand of Civil War books which have been written, relatively few of which concentrate on only one side.
I particularly treasure the US Fleet Boat men, though I am descended from aviators. I have found Werner\'s \"Iron Coffins\" to be the best, most powerful 1st person submarine book I have ever read. Forget \"Das Boot\"; for it is but fiction.
Werner\'s masterful capturing of the arrogance of the golden years, evolving into the desperate struggle to survive, (much less sink any freighters), after May 1943
is much more insightful than O\'Kane, Beach or anyone else from the American experience I can think of, yet I am a near-rabid admirer of the Gato/Albacore/Balao fleet boat and their crews.
This Memorial Day, my emotions will go to our men, but maybe I can try to keep in mind that their side had as much devotion to their duty as did my side. Who isn\'t moved by the events which link veterans of both sides, such as Ballard\'s expedition to find the USS Yorktown?
I doubt if this understanding will prevent wars in future years, as wars are affairs between governments, not people. But a study of accounts from the other side can only enrich our understanding of the causes and effects of that struggle, and once it is over, the protagonists must learn more about each other to get along.
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I have always felt thart this was the great strength of Tora; telling the story from both sides. I first saw it in 1970, and it was the first war film I had ever seen which humanized the enemy. Previously, Japanese were ridiculously portrayed without credibility of character, almost like comic book bad guys, which was absolutely necessary during the bond selling years, but would not be believable after the war. The eager pilot misidentifying his flagship for the Enterprise, and his subsequent teasing opened my eyes for the first time that the Japanese might actually have been people.
I\'m no apologist for the war crimes of the Japanese. I wish that they would own up to what they did like the Germans have, and not actively try to discredit books such as \"The Rape of Nanking\".
As a U.S.Navy Brat, I worship the memories of those Americans who gave their lives in defeating foes that absolutely needed to be stopped.
Still, I believe it is a serious mistake for Americans to rather cavalierly and narrow mindedly dismiss the understanding of a given war from the viewpoint of your protagonist. Lessons and insights can be readily gleaned from this.
How better to understand what was on Japan\'s mind than to read Fuchida\'s \"Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan\"? We could all learn a lesson from those who suffer \"victory disease\".
For over a century Americans from both the North and South have read the thousand of Civil War books which have been written, relatively few of which concentrate on only one side.
I particularly treasure the US Fleet Boat men, though I am descended from aviators. I have found Werner\'s \"Iron Coffins\" to be the best, most powerful 1st person submarine book I have ever read. Forget \"Das Boot\"; for it is but fiction.
Werner\'s masterful capturing of the arrogance of the golden years, evolving into the desperate struggle to survive, (much less sink any freighters), after May 1943
is much more insightful than O\'Kane, Beach or anyone else from the American experience I can think of, yet I am a near-rabid admirer of the Gato/Albacore/Balao fleet boat and their crews.
This Memorial Day, my emotions will go to our men, but maybe I can try to keep in mind that their side had as much devotion to their duty as did my side. Who isn\'t moved by the events which link veterans of both sides, such as Ballard\'s expedition to find the USS Yorktown?
I doubt if this understanding will prevent wars in future years, as wars are affairs between governments, not people. But a study of accounts from the other side can only enrich our understanding of the causes and effects of that struggle, and once it is over, the protagonists must learn more about each other to get along.
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| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
\"Tora!\" vs \"Pearl Harbor\"
|
T R York | 05/21/2001 05:45AM |
|
RE: \\\"Tora!\\\" vs \\\"Pearl Harb
|
David W | 05/24/2001 02:02AM |
|
TTT Rules!
|
Kris | 05/24/2001 05:48PM |
|
RE: TTT Rules!
|
Ian Stapley | 05/25/2001 03:33PM |
|
East Wind Rain
|
Frank Blazich | 05/28/2001 02:12AM |