Sorry, this movie sucks

Simply Perfect

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This was solid. Recently I have taken an interest in both the propaganda films and wartime documentaries of World War II from both sides. I especially wanted to see this, since I love Ford's 'They Were Expendable' so much. Definitely worth the effort to find if you have a similar inclination for the material.I have always wondered if a truly 'objective', 'unbiased' documentary can be made. Simply the decisions a director makes in what to capture and what not to makes such a gesture impossible, doesn't it? I especially feel this is the case when it comes to nationalistic documents, such as this.I have NO idea what its competition was, but this deservedly won Ford an Oscar for Best Documentary: Short Subject--this was a fine work he was well to be proud of.

Even as World War II was raging in 1943, there did not exist a lot of war footage to illustrate America's entry into the conflict. President Franklin Roosevelt ordered up this documentary piece to help explain the events that occurred before, during and after the tragic attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This eighty two minute documentary treatment was not released during the War because of objections by the U.S. Navy. A thirty four minute version was gleaned from the longer picture by director John Ford, and won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject in 1943.I found the approach used to be somewhat odd but also effective, with the character of Uncle Sam (Walter Huston) having a conversation with what was ostensibly his conscience (portrayed by Harry Davenport). Uncle Sam, the pacifist was fairly convinced that Japan did not pose an immediate threat to the country, while his alter-ego argued on the side of vigilance and caution.The first part of the film offers some startling facts about life on Hawaii at the time relative to the Japanese-American population. In 1941, one hundred fifty seven thousand Japanese represented thirty seven percent of the population of the Islands, and the majority of those (one hundred twenty two thousand) were actually American citizens. The narrator reveals that many of them were born in Hawaii, as a courtyard of school children are shown patriotically reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing 'God Bless America'. In hindsight, these demonstrations appear almost surreal on film.Contrasted against this show of patriotism is a brief history of Shintoism, an almost religious worship of the First Japanese Emperor considered immortal, with Japanese Emperor Hirohito representing a mortal image of a deity. The reverence shown by the Japanese in honoring their ancestors created a strong racial and social bond between them and the Imperial Dynasty, thereby posing a cautionary reaction in those who would distrust Japanese-American Hawaiians as potential enemies who might feed vital military information back to Japan.In regards to the actual attack on Pearl harbor, the film uses reenactments interspersed with actual combat footage, and it's never difficult to tell the difference between the two. Considering the era and technology available, the effort is generally effective as long as one overlooks the obvious use of toy battleship replicas and cardboard mock-ups. With the attack lasting ten minutes shy of two hours, the horror and destruction amassed within that time frame was virtually inconceivable at the time. The obvious reaction of the country in 1941 was one of horror and disgust, and as one observes those events today from the vantage point of seventy plus years, it's remarkable how the country came together to recoup and rebuild it's way back to victory.

December 7th, 1941 (1943) *** 1/2 (out of 4) John Ford's highly entertaining recreation of Pearl Harbor and the events after it certainly deserved the Academy Award win it received for Best Documentary Short. The film mixes recreated scenes very well with actual footage and I'd go as far to say that the battle scenes (done with models) are among the best from any war film of the period. The version I watched was the original, 34-minute theatrical version.All of Ford's WW2 shorts are worth seeking out as well as the film's done by Frank Capra during this period.

This Oscar-winning documentary features some spectacular battle footage and is generally well-done, except for the Hollywood hokum grafted onto the beginning, for who knows what reason. It's ridiculous and boring. just ignore it and watch the documentary. The documentary, sans lead-in, is recommended highly.