Watch December 7th For Free

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

ANYONE WHO HAS visited the U.S.S. ARIZONA MEMORIAL at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii will be interested in any film that relates to the attack of December 7, 1941. The devastation of that first Sunday in December was designed by the forces of Imperial Japan to render Uncle Sam impotent to do anything while the tentacles of "the Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere"(Japanese Empire for short)stretched out across the Phillipines, Hong Kong, Malaya, Indonesia and many other islands.WELL SCHULTZ, NO matter how bad things were at that low point, we rebounded and got our industry geared up for War Production. We believe it was Japanese Admiral Yamaoto who said: "We have only succeeded in awakening a Slumbering Giant!" (maybe it was "Sleeping Giant!") RATHER THAN BEING a Documentary, a Drama or even a Docu-Drama, the film emerged as a true Fantasy. It features a vacationing Uncle Sam (Walter Huston) looking over and evaluating the then U.S. Territory of Hawaii. He is soon joined by a "Mr. C" (for Constitution? played by Harry Davenport). The imaginary pair start a lively and deeply analytical discussion about the history, geographical importance and demographical breakdown of Hawaii.IT IS MADE perfectly clear that the majority components of the Territory was not Caucasain*, but rather of an Asiatic origin from China, the Phillipines and other lands. But the single largest component of the peoples here are of Japanese descent.THE FILM IS careful to show all of the positive side of the business, social and especially family structure of the Japanese American. Without having to resort to any fanciful speculation or slanted views, the characters make the case in favor of these Neisi folks. The storyline centers on the issue of "different" peoples' having similar likes, needs and abilities. The words "Race" and "Racisim", which are so commonly thrown about in today's media, are absent from this celluloid dissertation.ODDLY ENOUGH, THE storyline then takes a sharp turn in demonstrating just how little bits of info can be woven into big time espionage and a clear and present danger to our security. An imaginary scenario is presented that portrays that not all Axis Spies in the Pacific are Asian; as we have the Japanese Consulate being briefed by a Nazi German agent. Wisely, the adage of "the slip of the lip can sink a ship" is demonstrated with German operatives eavesdropping on people engaged in pertinent info in restaurant.AS WELL INTENDED and truthful that this scene was, we can't help but feel that it was an indicator of the mentality behind the Japanese Relocation Centers created by FDR at the behest of California Governor Earl Warren.THE MILITARY RELOCATION Camps are, in retrospect, one of the Darkest Days in our History and a shameful display of governmental abuse. (Ironically there was not even one case of sabotage or collaboration with the Axis Powers by a Japanese American; although the same can't be said for Germans, who weren't interned.) THE MOVIE FINISHES up with some hopeful words of wisdom from some Soldiers, Sailors Marines and Airmen who died on that "Day of Infamy", whose spirits told their stories.IN WHAT WAS a fine and genuinely heart felt gesture to the families of those who gave their all on 12/7/41, Family Members of several young Servicemen appear to honor their Sons.WHEN VIEWING THIS movie today, we must at least try to see it through the lens of time. Remember, it was big war and very scary.

*Spoiler/plot- 1943, A documentary that discusses and shows the many US military command and government war actions during the WW2 Pacific theater.*Special Stars- Director: John Ford *Theme- The US will win against any obstacle.*Trivia/location/goofs- Documentary made up of recreation with actors from narrative films and live action combat or newsreel footage. John Ford was a command naval officer.*Emotion- An enjoyable and this is really an impressive war documentary. It suffers from the staged or fake reenactment scenes to complete the narrative. Once you've seen this you can understand what all those war films have been trying to achieve. However, there are the unpleasant shots of injured Americans and some blatant racism in the form of the word use of 'Japs or 'Nips'. But it is extremely educational and does what a narrative simulated war film can do. You do have to put up with the blatant propaganda but this actually helps put the documentary in its war era context, providing an insight into social and political opinion of the time.

This is a well made Hollywood movie about Pearl Harbor. Director John Ford working for the government made this film after the attack as a motivational and propaganda film. The vast majority of the film is staged as there was no footage of the actual attack. The only real footage is the aftermath of some of the ships burning. That being said Ford attention to detail has lead many to believe that the shots of the Japenese planes where real. In reality they were Duantless Dive-bombers. Further the movie tends to downplay the losses of the United States while encouraging the anti-Japenese ideals of the day. Overall this is a good movie and a fairly accurate retelling if one remembers that it is not actual footage and rather a sound stage for the most part. Those interested in real battle footage should look to Ford's Battle of Midway which is entirely real footage and is even in color.

Greg Toland, a phenomenal and temperamental cinematorgrapher ("Citizen Kane" inter alia) wanted to be a director instead of a photographer, and this is basically his film. As part of Ford's Field Photo group he was assigned this project, which was to explain how and why Pearl Harbor could have happened. Toland was a better photographer than a director. Very little documentary footage of the Pearl Harbor attack existed. Most of what was available was shot after the attack, sometimes days later. So Toland organized a lengthy (some 80 minute-long) version of events by restaging the attack both in Hawaii and on the studio lots in Hollywood. The rather long prologue is like a cartoon. Walter Houston is dressed in an Uncle Sam costume and has a sort of argument with his conscience before the attack. Oh, sure, Uncle Sam admits, there are some traitors among the hyphenated Japanese but they're a negligible threat. We get to hear Philip Ahn (a Korean) explain that Shintoism is Japan, and Japan Shintoism, and that Hirohito is the direct descendant of God, which must have gone over well with Christians. The attack itself is reasonably well done for the time but embarrassing to watch now. American dive bombers pose as Japanese. The model work, with tiny airplanes on strings, is obvious. Cardboard ships explode into slivers in a tank. Non-actors pose as American servicemen and die Hollywood deaths, twisting and falling gracefully. The narrator tells us that the whole deal might have been different if an inexperienced lieutenant had heeded the radar warning of a subordinate, which is true, but which couldn't be admitted at the time. The result was an unshowable movie.Ford and his editor, Robert Sherwood, were called in to try salvaging it by cutting it down to about half an hour. Ford may or may not have added any shots. Only one of them resembles something he might have done. (A chaplain saying mass cuts it short, makes the sign of the cross, and says, "To your battle stations, boys.") Of course Ford's name is on the credits as director. He was John Ford. But it isn't his picture.