The end of the age of innocence

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2001)

I read a lot of reviews before I see a movie and many times that helps me to decide if I even want to see a movie. If I made my decision based on the critics I would not have seen this movie. What a loss that would have been! This was a simply great movie.
Without the first 90 minutes (which so many pan) the movie would have been an expensive documentary. Pearl Harbor is about American life before an awful war. The love story at the beginning (which totally captivated me) strongly picks up the 'age of innocence' that was America to a great degree. The attack ended that age. And, even when the war was over there was another attempt to recapture that innocence. But, it was to late, it was gone forever. We did indeed lose a lot.
This is a movie that you can sit back an immerse yourself in. You can truly become part of the movie and the time in which it was set. What more can you ask of a movie? Pearl Harbor gives you an opportunity to better understand what life was like in 1941. Even with war around the world you get the feeling that many just don't believe that America will have to fight. That is history brought to life.
Certainly Pearl Harbor is not true 100% history. No movie is that. Movies take history and move events around and words around and add other elements to create dramatic interest while telling the story. Pearl Harbor does a great job of this. You certainly live the attack.
I rated this movie a 9/10. I will see this one again and this is on my list to own the DVD when it is released.