In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Monday 12 August 2013

Tora! Tora! Tora! (Extended Japanese Cut) (1970)

This ambitious dramatization of the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour is a film with two identities. The English language half was directed by Richard Fleischer. It focuses on the clerical errors made by the politicians, diplomats and desk jockeys on the American side, not the fighting man on the ground. The Japanese half was directed by Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda. It follows the planning and eventual execution of the bombing.
The two halves aren't too dramatically different, so they don’t feel at odds with each other visually when cut together into one story, although the Japanese parts feel less set-bound and are definitely better paced.
The extended version adds some new scenes but nothing that changes the outcome... the bombs still fall.

3 tigers out of 5

No comments: