Tora! Tora! Tora!

One of the better World War II movies, Tora! Tora! Tora! lavishly and meticulously restages the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor with a zeal for authenticity that borders on documentary filmmaking. The real-life story unfolds simultaneously from both American and Japanese points of view using an unusual cinematic gambit: Hollywood director Richard Fleischer helms the scenes featuring American principals Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotten, E.G. Marshall, and James Whitmore, while Japanese directors Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku film those with Soh Yamamura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Takahiro Tamura, and Eijiru Tono. Ultimately, this approach results in a more balanced presentation of the facts, including dramatizations of the misinterpretations and blundering that bedeviled both sides in the days leading up to the attack. Famous historical personalities are accurately portrayed, actual locations are utilized wherever possible, and a well-deserved Oscar went to special-effects giants A.D. Flowers and L.B. Abbott for their amazingly realistic recreation of the Sunday-morning bombing. Refreshingly free of the mindless jingoism that characterizes many WWII movies, Tora! Tora! Tora! is presented with a handsome transfer in this two-disc set, with DVD extras including a commentary track by Fleischer and Japanese-film historian Stuart Galbraith IV, a feature length “making-of,” the documentary short “Day of Infamy,” an AMC “Backstory” featurette, and 10 Movietone newsreels. Recommended. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Dec. 20, 2011—Fox, 145 min., G, $34.98—Debuting on Blu-ray, 1970's Tora! Tora! Tora! sports a great transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Blu-ray extras are nearly identical to the DVD release, including an audio commentary by director Richard Fleischer and Japanese film historian Stuart Galbraith IV, the “History vs. Hollywood—Tora! Tora! Tora! A Giant Awakes” making-of documentary (90 min.), 10 “Fox Movietonews” segments (40 min.), an AMC Backstory episode (22 min.), a “Day of Infamy” featurette (20 min.), a behind-the-scenes and production photo gallery, a booklet, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an extended “Japanese cut” of the film with previously unreleased footage, and a booklet with rare photos. Bottom line: a welcome Blu-ray debut for a solid WWII epic.]