Pearl Harbor

I remember seeing “Pearl Harbor” for the first time. I was ready for another “Armageddon” but for the first half of the film, I was wondering where the intense action was. The length and intensity of action once it came was very powerful for me at the time. It is a Michael Bay film through and through. I always watch the film around December 7th if not on it. Watching it during the Christmas season helps me understand the surprise that came with the attack. I admit that the central fictional story has flaws but I don’t understand why the film is critically looked down upon. The build-up towards the attack and the portrayal of it is quite dramatic and intense. The first half of the film has quite an anxious spirit. The payoffs are worth the length of the movie I feel.

I like Randall Wallace’s work, especially on “Braveheart”. The story aspect that I applaud the most on this film however is the portrayal of history and the exposition leading up to the attack. The use of anxiousness and contrast is very well done. The reference to WWI in the opening scene helps us understand the reasons why the US did not want to go to war. The way that Rafe and Evelyn fall in love feels reminiscent of classic films from that era. Watching the film for the first time, there was a sense that something big was coming even though I could not fully imagine it. Even in the moments that immediately lead up to the start of the attack, I did not expect such an intense sequence that would last as long as it did. I like the contrast of the Hawaii scenes preceding Dec. 7th although it might have been overdone. The hospitals are clean & very empty and the soldiers are at ease. The phone call to the Japanese dentist is a very foreboding scene because of the end reaction of the dentist. The “chess in the dark” scene with Navy intelligence is a entertaining thanks to Dan Aykroyd. I like the irony of the Japanese navy listing to the hula music from Hawaii and the contrast as the Japanese planes fly over the beautiful island. One of my favorite shots in the film is the one where the “camera” is pulling back from the island and the Japanese planes fly into view until the shot is full of them. Despite all the build up, I did not expect that many planes to be in the battle when I first saw the movie. It is here that I realized the scale of what was about to happen. As the planes approach, the images we see are quite angst-ridden. Everyone is completely unaware of the approaching horde. I like how the film makes reference to the sailors who were confused at first as to why the navy was practicing that early on a Sunday. Instead of starting the battle at the moment the planes arrive at the harbor, Bay has a few shots of sailors looking up in wonder, curiosity & confusion and I like the drama of that. Once the first torpedo hits, all heck breaks loose. The hospital comes alive even before the injured arrive as the nurses run in preparation. Initial images of the hospital on Dec. 7th are full of intensity despite the emptiness and cleanliness. There is no music, which adds to the tension and contrast. I like the set up and payoff of playing chicken. It is introduced quite inconsequential at the start of the film and while it did not happen during the attack, you can't expect much different out of Michael Bay. The film clearly shows that the Japanese had some remorse for their deception and unprovoked offensive. I wish they had showed like in “Tora, Tora, Tora” that Japan’s declaration of war did not arrive on time. In the true story, it was supposed to arrive in Washington D.C. thirty minutes before the start of the attack. Evidence today however says that the Japanese may have known that a delay would occur and they subsequently pretended that it was an accident. “Tora, Tora, Tora” was quite historically accurate where as this movie is true to the emotions that the public felt that month. Because of the advancements in special effects, "Pearl Harbor" does a better job of showing the vastness of the attack. I am pleased with the portrayal of the Doolittle Raid. They were quite accurate with the depiction of that event such as the use of broomsticks for tail guns. That whole raid from the friendship metals to the written words on the bombs was designed to send a moral message to both sides of the conflict and you feel that.

There are other reasons why I like this movie. I am grateful that they filmed many scenes on location in O’ahu. The special effects in the first establishing shot of 1940’s Pearl Harbor are seamless even fifteen years later. The effects on the attack shots deserved their Oscar nomination. It was no surprise to me when “Pearl Harbor” won Best Sound Editing but the other nominations faced too much competition that year. The music by Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt was well done. They were a big part of creating the anxious nature of the first half of this film. I like many of the performances in the film. I first saw Michael Shannon in "Groundhog Day" and he is Gooz in this film but it wasn't until "World Trade Center" that I fully took notice of him. I have already mentioned the performace of Dan Aykroyd but also worth mentioning are Alec Baldwin, Jon Voight, Mako and of course Cuba Gooding Jr. I love the scene when he uses the machine gun. Tom Sizemore was in "Saving Private Ryan" a few years before and so I like his inclusion in this WWII epic. The filmmakers decided to shoot much of the takeoff sequence for the Doolittle Raid for real and they could do it successfully because unlike the real thing, the airplanes did not carry extra fuel, bombs, etc.

This is Michael Bay's attempt to make money in the wake of "Titanic". In between the theatrical and DVD releases of "Pearl Harbor", September 11th occurred. I believe that made this movie more popular. Pearl Harbor was in people’s minds on that day and this film was a partial reason for that, even if some people hadn’t seen the movie. I am grateful for “Pearl Harbor” and “Tora, Tora, Tora” because they preserve for future generations an important event. We get to experience what it might have been like to witness such a surprise attack. Despite the flaws in the film, I enjoy the movie and I am glad I own it. The foreboding mood of many of the scenes in the first half is strong. The action during the battle makes up for the lack of action preceding it. It is an entertaining tradition of mine every December the 7th.

4 Stars