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Directed
By: Michael Bay
Written By: Randall Wallace
Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale
Rated: PG-13 (War-time Violence)
Running Time: 190 Min.
In
the historical feature Pearl Harbor, Ben Affleck and Josh
Harnett play Rafe and Danny, two American fighter pilots training
for a war the country may never enter. During this time of
uncertainty, Rafe, Danny, and their compatriots come face
to face with the fighting man's most dangerous enemy... Love.
Yes, our two flyboys are forced to dodge wave after wave of
romantic entanglements, but never fail to rise to the challenge.
Cupid's well placed arrows strike hit after hit, and Love's
casualties begin to mount. Little do our heroes know that,
as they suffer the torments brought on by a constant barrage
of comely young nurses, the threat of War looms just beyond
the horizon.
Buy this poster!
It seems that the Japanese Imperial Navy and Air Forces have
decided the time is right to pay a surprise visit to the island
paradise of Hawaii, and catch our lovebirds, as well as the
entire American Navy, with their pants down. Heavy-handed
romantic drivel soon gives way to heavy-handed patriotic drivel,
as our two warriors must now rise to the call of duty.
I am astonished by the lack of respect producer Jerry Bruckheimer,
director Michael Bay, and screenwriter Randall Wallace have
shown for history as well as moviegoers with this 139 million
dollar fiasco. Granted, Bruckheimer and Bay are known for
their flashy, ego-laden action flicks, and Wallace penned
Braveheart, an excellent action epic, but I had assumed that,
just as Steven Spielberg has done in the past, these filmmakers
had finally decided to use the great wealth generated by their
past box-office successes to produce a film that would actually
be considered an 'important' work. I must admit to having
been incredibly naive in that assumption.
Essentially, Pearl Harbor treats it's subject matter in the
same way that Titanic did, by hanging a bittersweet romance
against the backdrop of a tragic historical event. This is
formula moviemaking at it's most blatant, as Pearl Harbor's
one and only glaringly obvious purpose is to make tons of
money. At least the makers of Titanic understood the importance
of the real-life events they attempted to dramatize. If this
film is any indication of producer Bruckheimer's artistic
integrity, then I imagine his next 'important' project may
be his heart-wrenchingly dramatic telling of the Hindenberg
disaster, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewett
as two starcrossed lovers on opposite sides of the Reich.
Seriously, did Bruckheimer, Bay, and Wallace not realize that
the attack on Pearl Harbor is arguably the most important
event in shaping the latter half of the 20th century? When
filmmakers choose to take on a project depicting a true event
of such great magnitude, with that decision comes an equal
amount of responsibility. The filmmaker is responsible to
those who witnessed the event, to those who lived through
the event, and especially to those who died in the event,
for creating an accurate, respectful, and historically correct
account. There is no genuine effort in Pearl Harbor to convey
any of these sentiments. Bruckheimer, Bay, and Wallace shamefully
exploit the attack on Pearl Harbor, and dishonor the memory
of those who fought and died on both sides. If I were a World
War II veteran, I would be royally pissed off by Pearl Harbor.
So, instead of wasting nine bucks to see this thing, rent
the films
Tora, Tora, Tora! and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. Taken together
as a double feature, they present a more faithful version
of the tragic events portrayed in this disgraceful misuse
of cinematic power.
Allen
J Vestal
A.J.'s
Place: Movies & More!
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