Tora! Tora! Tora!

1970

2h 24m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

564

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War

History

Drama

In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.

Directors

Toshio Masuda

Kinji Fukasaku

Richard Fleischer

Writers

Ladislas Farago(novel by)

Ryūzō Kikushima(screenplay by)

Gordon W. Prange(novel by)

Stars

Martin Balsam

Sō Yamamura

Jason Robards

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Videos3

Photos66

Top cast

Martin Balsam

Admiral Husband E. Kimmel

Sō Yamamura

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Jason Robards

General Walter C. Short

Joseph Cotten

Henry L. Stimson

Tatsuya Mihashi

Commander Minoru Genda

E.G. Marshall

Colonel Rufus S. Bratton

Takahiro Tamura

Lt. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida

James Whitmore

Admiral William F. Halsey

Eijirō Tōno

Admiral Chuici Nagumo

Wesley Addy

Lt. Commander Alwin D. Kramer

Shōgo Shimada

Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura

Frank Aletter

Lt. Commander Thomas

Koreya Senda

Prince Fumimaro Konoye

Leon Ames

Frank Knox

Jun Usami

Admiral Zengo Yoshida

Richard Anderson

Captain John B. Earle

Kazuo Kitamura

Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka

Keith Andes

General George C. Marshall

Directors

Toshio Masuda

Kinji Fukasaku

Richard Fleischer

Writers

Ladislas Farago(novel by)

Ryūzō Kikushima(screenplay by)

Gordon W. Prange(novel by)

All cast & crew

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User reviews2

Review

Featured review

First off, this is a very good historical fictionalization of an epic event. Many parts are very accurate whereas others are more or less. This is after all a Hollywood movie, NOT a documentary such as "The World At War", so we can't be too critical about perfect accuracy. Originally it was supposed to be directed by two directors, 1 for the American story line, and Akira Kurosawa, for the Japanese story. There were rumored difficulties between Mr. Kurosawa and the American studio bosses so Mr. Kurosawa left the production despite having an uncredited role in scripting the Japanese part of the screenplay. I have read recently that the version that was being shown, of the historical account in the movie, was different than the conventional history's perspective. However, I would say that is only in demonstrating, theatrically, how Admiral Kimmel and General Short, who were scapegoats and put through rigorous Congressional Hearings after the actual event, may have taken ample precautions. That their shortcomings were due to communications being delayed or intelligence reports being withheld. I saw it in the movie theater in 1970, and many times since and have found it to be a very fair and well done "Hollywood" representation of the essential history of an important historic event. The movie is essentially well acted, and believably presented with a few surprising disappointments. The Battleship Nevada was depicted with an inaccurate arrangement of its main batteries. In reality it had 10-14 inch guns, a 3-gun mount with a twin "Superfiring" turret over it, on the Bow and the Stern. Not 4, 3 gun mounts, (triple would mean all 3 guns were connected and couldn't be aimed independently which was retrofitted in the 1930s). When you see a ship that says Nevada on it and it isn't correctly laid out it is hard to believe the rest of the movie, particularly where details about ships, planes, equipment, facilities and ordnance were important characters in their depicted historic roles. Some actual footage of the carnage at Pearl Harbor was used, including the Battleship Arizona conflagrating (exploding). As Docu-dramas go, Tora-Tora-Tora is among the best and superior to "Midway", which used some of the same footage and sound effects having been Produced by many of same people. I mentioned the aforementioned criticisms because at the film's beginning it has a Notation, "True To Historic Fact" and expands on that statement. In reality few films or testimonies can live up to 100% accuracy and weighted relevance, but Tora-Tora-Tora does have me returning to re-experience it, and not generally to look for more errors but rather because it is an overall worthwhile film.

lwpcolonel14 Jan, 2018