Synopsis:

December 7, 1941 is a day that will live in infamy. On that date, the Japanese military under the direction of Tojo, leveled a devastating blow to the American fleet stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The element of surprise is always needed when trying to win a war however, this attack was so sudden, the toll on human life, hardware and American morale was more than the USA could bear to lose. Tora, Tora, Tora tells this age-old story in a far more interesting light than ever before. Using a joint Japanese and American crew of actors, producers and directors, Tora, Tora, Tora is an assault on the senses that may give you a different opinion on the war and it's participants by standing on its own merits alongside what you've already heard, read about or seen.

Audio/Video:

The audio is a first for me. It's presented in DD4.1, which engages the fronts, sub and center leaving the rears dormant. The presentation is quite nice and there's a decent bit of rumble in the film's remastered audio. I did miss the activity in the rears however, given the film's age and the inclusion of LFE, it's a platform I can live with. A Director's commentary is also included. The commentary sounds as though it was recorded at a different time(not while screening the film for the DVD) and is not screen specific. It reads more like a history lesson than film class 101. I was most impressed with the amount of involvement both the Japanese and the American crews had in the production of the film. Acclaimed Japanese Director Akira Kurosawa was one of the geniuses used in the think tank to accurately portray both sides of the war and it definitely added to the level of my appreciation of the film knowing that his input was pivotal to the film's completed narrative. The films' video presentation was equally as impressive as the audio. It's an incredibly clean often soft image that showcases this WWII epic. There are a few scratches that pop up on screen but for the most part, the image is very clean and nicely presented. The one issue I had was one of tone. I felt the overall image could have been far sharper than it's current presentation but it in no way detracts from the film's overall excellent presentation.

Extras:

The extras on the disc are the aforementioned Director's commentary, the film's trailer and a 20-minute documentary entitled "Day of Infamy". Needless to say the documentary is the real jewel next to the film's restored image and anamorphic transfer. The documentary focused on the events that both immediately preceded and followed the surprise attack and chronicles, America's attempts to regroup and address the situation at hand. It also focuses on some of the extremely courageous efforts of America's military in rescuing the wounded and preparing to return what was received. Great stuff.

Overall:

Tora, Tora, Tora is a cinematic landmark that heralded one of the greatest military efforts of WWII. This compassionate look at the war from both sides of the ocean gives a greater insight into the minds of a fragmented Japanese military (due to the alliance with Hitler's Germany), that while they disagreed with the German war machine solidified themselves by following the orders as laid down by the Japanese high command. While I think that Saving Private Ryan is THE definitive film on the era, Tora Tora Tora is an excellent presentation that goes a long way to show a balanced viewpoint on easily, one of the most widely known military situations during the waning years of WWII. Highly Recommended.