A True Testament to America's Darkest Day

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2001)

Pearl Harbor was a surprise for me in terms of cinematic experience, and proved once again that it remains a mystery why film critics are allowed a venue to voice their opinions.
This film was a pure joy to behold from beginning to end, and is one of the more entertaining movies to come along in a while. I was apprehensive when I learned that the bulk of the film revolves around a love triangle, but this thematic device does not detract an ounce from the overall plot. It is simply a backstory for a series of events that leads to one of America's most terrifying experiences. The interspersing scenes of Jon Voigt's poignant President F.D. Roosevelt and the Nipponese battle plan under Admiral Yamamoto and General Genda gave us a fictionalized, yet strong, portrayal of these leaders.
The 45-minute sequence of Nippon's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the greatest in film history. Never have I been so emotionally touched by a movie sequence, and I doubt that I will ever again. To see my country struck with such a blatant show of military aggression is disheartening and mind-blowing, but on screen, is truly captivating. A few tears came to my eye when I saw fellow Texan Doris "Dorie" Miller go against his appointed station and at the near expense of his life to man a machine gun on the deck of the U.S.S. West Virginia. Miller won the Navy Cross for his actions, and he deserved it. Some would say that Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s performance and Miller's scenes in this film were not needed, but I disagree...Dorie Miller's story must be told for posterity's sake, and this was the perfect venue for it.
Of all of the fine performances of the film, Alec Baldwin's portrayal of then Colonel James Doolittle was the immediate stand-out. Baldwin showed a definite affinity for the pilot and commander, and his depiction of Doolittle shows this.
I ask readers of this review who have not yet seen Pearl Harbor to do so. It is not as over long as many reviewers have stated, and its three-hour length moves along a brisk pace. I think it's important for Americans to see this film and realize the sacrifices that our grandparents and elders made in order to keep our nation and the world safe from tyranny. It's just too bad that it has to be a movie to finally put that point across.