The Turning Point

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2019)

Confident after their success at Pearl Harbor the Japanese armed forces decided to lure the American navy into a trap near Midway Atoll, an important area in the Pacific crucial to both sides. Japanese underestimation of the American response, poor placing of their ships and most importantly the breaking of their codes by American cryptographers dealt the doom of the Japanese fleet as they in turn fell for the net the American fleet spread out at them. The predator became the prey. "Midway" showcases the action and drama involved as one of the turning points in history unravels in the silver screen. Good acting features the important personages involved and the personal lives of individuals adding the human element always turned upside down in the turmoil of war. Good special effects highlight the exhilaration, chaos, tragedy and high of battle as dogfights, fighter planes, anti-aircraft guns, aircraft carriers, artillery, streaming bullets and crashing bombs erupt as the soundtrack to death and carnage where the conflict leads its participants to destiny. An added plus is the depiction of the Japanese side of the story where unlike past war films where only the Western perspective is shown here the Japanese experience is represented giving the movie a fuller well rounded whole. Although not as fast paced as a war flick should be the film delivers with its no frills depiction of the battle. As war films go this is one of the best with no politics and agenda to taint it, just a solid recreation of history as it occurred. And in these times is a winner just as much as the quality of the film itself, perhaps even more.