Instant Favorite.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Here's the explanation for this film.In President Roosevelt's judgment, the 110,000 American citizens of Japanese descent living on the West Coat were a terrible threat to national security during ww2. Accordingly, they had been interned in concentration camps, suddenly and brutally. Obviously, the 160,000 Japanese-Americans on Hawaii posed an even greater threat, since Hawaii was the most critical American base in the Pacific. Roosevelt wanted these potential subversives locked up as well, and the task of December 7th was to argue for this necessity by indicting the loyalty of 160,000 Hawaiian citizens.But something rare in recent American history occurred. The military governor of Hawaii, General Delos Emmons said, in so many words, "Nuts, I won't do it!" And he prevailed. The Nisei stayed free. Accordingly, December 7th's denunciation of their disloyalty was replaced with a tribute to their patriotism. And not a single hostile act by a Japanese- American was reported during the war.Hawaii's successful defiance of Roosevelt is an ignored event in American history — not surprisingly, because it gives the lie to the excuse that continued internment of 110,000 people (mostly Californians) through almost four years of war (and the effective confiscation of their property to the profit of their neighbors) was an understandable precaution in the heat of the moment.Ford and Toland, whatever their sentiments at the time, were following orders. A year after the war was over, in December 1946, Ford made a point of depositing in the National Archives an 82-minute print, unreleased (but now on DVD), containing Toland's unreleased sequences preceding the 34- minute released sequences. As a single film it makes no sense: the second part contradicts the first, blatantly. Yet it documents a government policy that we have forgotten ever even happened.

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.

This is another war documentary by Ford, obviously detailing the nefarious 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour that saw the U.S. finally enter WWII. Ironically, the film was originally made as a feature (running 82 minutes) but was heavily censored by the authorities – despite having been commissioned by President Roosevelt himself! – to the point that it was reduced to a 34-minute short, entered in the Academy Award category for Best Documentary Short and winning the Oscar! For the record, only the edited version was released among the extras on Fox's BECOMING JOHN FORD (2007) DVD and, while I managed to acquire the full-length edition off "You Tube", I opted to only watch the shorter print in view of its being Oscar season! Anyway, this makes a much better attempt to tell the whole story than THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY (one imagines the feature being that more comprehensive in this regard!), and only resorts to mawkishness – albeit movingly done regardless – towards the end i.e. when the fallen soldiers 'introduce' themselves to the audience. Needless to say, the Japanese side is depicted in strictly caricatured terms (which was the accepted norm for the duration of the conflict, seen also in contemporary cartoons!)…but, while a Japanese civilian (sympathizing with the invasion) is interviewed, we also get to see how other naturalized Orientals hid evidence (not just store-signs but the Asian calligraphy itself!) of their old country in shame. Again, a number of stars lend their services to provide the accompanying narration: I recognized Walter Huston's voice in this streamlined copy but, reportedly, the likes of Harry Davenport and Dana Andrews were also involved.

After America entered World War II at the close of 1941, Hollywood directors were "drafted" into making short films for the war effort. These directors included Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, and the most poetic, sentimental of Hollywood directors at the time- John Ford. Ford made this short film. Part of it is a political cartoon come to life. Uncle Sam (Walter Huston) is on vacation in Hawaii. It's not yet December 7th, 1941. He doesn't have a care in the world, other than his conscious (played with delicate humor by the great Harry Davenport!) reminding him of possible trouble brewing. The film also serves as a neat documentary about life in Hawaii before the war, and offers a peek into the heavy Japanese-American population at the time. Look for Dana Andrews in a ghostly bit part. History books just have the dates and places of historic occurrences. This seldom seen classic shows the mindset!