IMDb >
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsTora! Tora! Tora! (1970) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 65 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
23 September 1970 (USA) moreTagline:
The incredible attack on Pearl Harbor. morePlot:
A dramatization of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the series of American blunders that allowed it to happen. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 7 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Veteran Director Richard Fleischer Dead at 89 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 27 March 2006)
Filmmaker Richard Fleischer Dies
(From WENN. 27 March 2006)
User Comments:
An underestimated epic moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Martin Balsam | ... | Admiral Kimmel | |
| Sô Yamamura | ... | Admiral Yamamoto (as Soh Yamamura) | |
| Joseph Cotten | ... | Henry Stimson | |
| Tatsuya Mihashi | ... | Commander Genda | |
| E.G. Marshall | ... | Lt. Colonel Bratton | |
| James Whitmore | ... | Admiral Halsey | |
| Takahiro Tamura | ... | Lt. Commander Fuchida | |
| Eijirô Tôno | ... | Admiral Nagumo (as Eijiro Tono) | |
| Jason Robards | ... | General Short | |
| Wesley Addy | ... | Lt. Commander Kramer | |
| Shogo Shimada | ... | Ambassador Nomura | |
| Frank Aletter | ... | Lt. Commander Thomas | |
| Koreya Senda | ... | Prince Konoye | |
| Leon Ames | ... | Frank Knox | |
| Junya Usami | ... | Admiral Yoshida |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
144 minColor:
Color (as De Luxe)Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 moreCertification:
Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:PG | Brazil:Livre | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 (1972) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:GP | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:16Filming Locations:
20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA moreFun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was considered a flop when it was released in the United States, but was a huge success in Japan. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When the Ward attacks the Japanese minisub near the entrance to Pearl harbor, the minisub's depth is inconsistent between shots. We see it alternately with its entire sail out of the water, then with just the periscope visible. moreQuotes:
Frank Knox: [reading a report of the attack] Oh, no, no, this can't be right; they must mean the Philippines!Admiral Stark: No, sir. It's Pearl!
Frank Knox: [to his aide] Get me the White House, the direct line!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Crawling Eye (#2.1)" (1989) moreSoundtrack:
The Star-Spangled Banner moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Air Force | Midway | From Here to Eternity | The Longest Day | Pearl Harbor |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Action section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |














I have not seen the movie _Pearl Harbor_; nor, for that matter, do I plan to. I do not personally care for films that warp an important historical event to suit a formulaic date-flick format (a certain travesty involving a big steamship comes immediately to mind). If I go to the movie theater to watch a historical account, then that's what I want to see. _Tora! Tora! Tora!_ is exactly that, and more; it very nearly puts you right in the middle of the conflagration.
It continues to be a source of total wonder for me that _Tora! Tora! Tora!_, a movie made nearly thirty-two years ago, is so expertly presented. The reason for this is twofold: usage of lesser-known character actors to keep plot distraction to a minimum, and the usage of vintage working ships and aircraft to keep the realism to a maximum. These two elements merge together to produce what amounts to a cameraman in a time machine filming the actual events on site.
Since this was a collaborative effort between both US and Japanese film studios, the numerous switches between scenes will give you a good look at the differences between directing (and acting) styles. I am constantly amazed at the boldness of the content for a film released in the US during the Vietnam War, and only 25 years after the Pearl Harbor attack itself; compared to the rather wooden Martin Balsam and Jason Robards, Takahiro Tamura's Lt. Commander Fuchida is replete with a charisma I would never have expected from The Enemy. The Japanese side of the tale is laid before you so well that one is sent into the minds of the people involved, a rarity for American war films. (Sometimes it goes a little bit over the edge -- Admiral Yamamoto's comment "I know [the Americans] are a proud and just people" is a mistranslation -- but the general mood is accurately conveyed overall.)
And then there is the beautiful and sometimes chilling scenery. The attack scenes themselves are eye-popping and brazen enough -- an awesome effort given the technology of the period -- but my personal favorite scene is the Japanese lead strike force's departure from their aircraft carrier. Those of you who purchase the DVD version of the movie should crank up the volume at this point. This is a piece of film that most probably can never be shot again: REAL aircraft flooring their REAL engines and taking flight from a REAL ship of war, against the backdrop of the early dawn, one after another, until the sky is alive with what looks like waves and waves of warplanes. Although the aircraft and ships used were modifed American stock, the flags, uniforms, and color schemes are all authentic... resulting in a spine-tingling spectacle of Japanese pilots plunging headlong into what was ultimately a disastrous mistake. They are depicted as human beings, as they should be.
It is an astoundingly accurate presentation of a dark moment in history for both the US and Japan, free of pretense, pandering to the audience, big-bucks megastars, lovey-dovey sappiness, and computer-generated pixels. You don't *need* any of these things to create a fantastic movie; all you need is history, which we all know is stranger -- and scarier, and more engaging -- than fiction. _Tora! Tora! Tora_ should be in every movie fan's library.