Wings of Defeat

During World War II, the U.S. naval fleets in the Pacific were baffled by attacks in which Japanese aircraft flew directly into American vessels. Although “kamikaze” is a word that is essentially synonymous with suicide missions, many of the pilots actually survived the war. Filmmaker Risa Morimoto's Wings of Defeat tracks down four former pilots, who provide rare insights into the Japanese military's mindset during the latter part of World War II. Now all in their 80s, the former pilots talk about the rigorous (often brutal) physical and mental training they received, and discuss how the kamikaze missions became increasingly important to the Japanese military when it was clear that Japan could not win the war. Yet the pilots today take little open pride in surviving, and speak movingly of the guilt they still carry for remaining alive when the majority of their comrades perished. Combining powerful interview clips and rare archival war footage (the sight of these suicide attacks is still shocking, even six decades later), Wings of Defeat—broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens series—is an excellent documentary for any WWII and/or Japanese history collection, as well as one that will appeal to many general viewers. Highly recommended. [Note: this is also available on home video for $24.95 from the producer's website at www.edgewoodpictures.com/wingsofdefeat/dvd_purchase.html.] Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)