I didn't like this as much as Oscar told me I should!

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2008)

This movie tied "Gone with the Wind" (1939) for the most Oscars won by a single film up to that point in time -- eight. So, prior to seeing this, I had every idea it was going to be the masterpiece that an 8-time Oscar winning movie should be.
But then after the conclusion, I was left saying "Huh"? First, the ending made no sense to me at all - the conversation between the 2 women on the boat leaving the island. I have since learned from the message boards that there was a lot cut out from the book and they explained the book ending. Someone shouldn't have to have read the book to understand a movie's ending - it should be a self-contained complete story.
Secondly, I went into movie believing it would be a gripping tale of the events of Pearl Harbor, only to see that the attack is relegated to the end of the movie, and then as only a side note. So really, this isn't as much a war movie as a melodramatic soap opera surrounding the people who just happen to be inconvenienced by the attack at the end. The attack itself lasts mere minutes and seems to trivialize the tragedy of it. I think our servicemen and women who actually experienced this deserved greater respect than that.
I wasn't that impressed with Sinatra's performance either. His character died halfway into the movie - I just didn't see an Oscar caliber portrayal.
But given all my reservations, there are some fine performances by the cast. Kerr, Lancatser and Clift's portrayals stand out the most to me. There is some beautiful cinematography, especially the infamous kissing scene on the beach. And to think it was originally scripted to have been a vertical (standing up) kiss!
So, overall, this is still a movie worth seeing. Just go into with realistic expectations - that this really isn't so much a war movie as it is a soapy melodrama about people who just happen to be in the military.