Product: Midway (Collector's Edition) (1976)
Rating: 3.0
Midway is midway between TV docudrama and full documentary.
Thirsting for more information on the Pacific theater in WWII, I bought this dvd. If you can, see THE WORLD AT WAR VHS Set (not yet on dvd) for a very good "101" on World War II and VICTORY AT SEA for your graduate work. This will give you the necessary background for this major naval engagement. It would seem that this victory was won by the side that made the fewest mistakes rather than by military genius.The clarity of the dvd is at best fair. Color saturation is no better than the VHS and the sound seems uneven. What the hey, war films will sell no matter what the format.Taylor, I am sorry, Charlton Heaston (that's Moses to those WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE candidates!) does...well, what he usually does (especially at the end) as the peripheral focal point of the picture. The picture follows the events leading to the carrier faceoff at Midway. Actual war footage and U.S. Navy installation/vessel support, is mixed with scenes from TORA TORA TORA (recommended). Together, they give the viewer an unbelievable sense of amazement at how the American Fleet won this battle and how events as minor as one observation plane having takeoff difficulties could effect its outcome. The underlying relationship between a naval family of father, son and his Japanese interred lover deals more with the prejudice of war rather than the events (a little more info on the internment would have elevated the storyline).This dvd is interesting for the historian but at 2 hours and one minute length is mediocre docudrama for everyone else.