Film Review: Pearl Harbor (2001)

11 months ago

(source: tmdb.org

One of the most ironic examples of life imitating art happened in 2001 when Pearl Harbor, spectacular Hollywood film depicting the deadliest enemy attack on US soil in 20th Century, was released only few months before the deadliest enemy attack on US soil in 21st Century. This macabre coincidence, on the other hand, prevented producer Jerry Bruckheimmer and director Michael Bay from taking undeserved accolades that would have certainly come in patriotic hysteria that gripped USA and most of the Western world following 9/11.

The protagonists are Rafe McCawley (played by Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (played by Josh Hartnett) - two young men and best friends who, since childhood, dreamed of becoming fighter pilots. In 1940 their dream comes true when they join US Army Air Force. However, their career seems to be uneventful since USA is still neutral in Second World War despite Hitler’s Germany taking over most of Europe. Major Doolittle (played by Alec Baldwin) is, however, convinced that USA will inevitably get drawn in the conflict and would need fighter pilots with combat experience. He encourages Rafe to join US volunteers in Royal Air Force that defends Britain from Germans. Because of that Rafe is forced to leave his girlfriend, Army nurse Evelyn Stewart (played by Kate Beckinsale). She is, together with Danny, transferred to Pearl Harbor, US Navy base on Hawaiian island of Oahu. When they received news that Rafe was shot down over British Channel, Danny starts to comfort Eveyln and, inevitably, their relationship evolves into romance. Things get complicated when it turns out that Rafe not only survived, but actually rejoined US Army Air Force and also got transferred to Pearl Harbour. The romantic rivalry between two best friends, however, is put aside by more serious matter. On December 7th 1941 the most important base of US Pacific Fleet is suddenly attacked by hundreds of Japanese aircraft. In the ensuing chaos Rafe and Billy will forget their feud and do exactly what they were dreaming about their whole lives. Despite all their heroic effort, Pacific Fleet is wrecked and it would take a very long time before it is able to do something serious against Japanese forces conquering Pacific. While Evelyn discovers her pregnancy, Rafe and Billy volunteer to top secret suicide mission against Japanese mainland that would, at least symbolically, turn the tide of the war.

Made by Disney, studio which, at the time, is on its way to become dominant force in Hollywood, Pearl Harbor was supposed to mark 60th anniversary of US entry into Second World War. But it also provided an opportunity for Disney to combine of two very successful films of recent times – Titanic, which had used romantic with historical catastrophe in background; and Saving Private Ryan as patriotic celebration of US military at its finest hour. This formula could have worked, but not with Bruckheimer and Bay at the helm. It is most visible in the scenes that provide the only truly interesting content of the film – reconstruction of Japanese attack. As long as film requires plenty of explosion, gunfire and CGI, Bay can handle it and Pearl Harbor is watchable. The problem is that the attack itself lasted for an hour, which Bay was, for dramatic and other purposes, had to cut to around thirty minutes.

What comes before and after those scenes turns into dreadful Hollywood melodrama, which Bay is incapable of properly directing. But even Bay had more talent for it, he couldn’t have do much with a terrible script by Randall Wallace that fills relatively simple love triangle story with dialogues that make average soap opera look like literary classic. Things get even worse with rampant use of cliches that allows even for less experienced audience to easily guess which character will live or die. Yet, most of the viewers wouldn’t care much about it, because Affleck, and, to a lesser degree, Beckinsale and Hartnett seem completely disinterested for their roles and thus make their characters bland and forgettable. Some supporting actors try harder, like Mako in the role of Japanese admiral Yamamoto who appears in the scenes that are supposed to give “proper” historic context to the events depicted in the film. Yet, Wallace’s script fails even in that, making viewers unfamiliar with history confused over what was Second World War fought over and who were participants. Partly because of “political correctness” and desire to avoid any accusations of racism, and partly because Disney needed lucrative Japanese market, Japanese characters aren’t shown as backstabbing aggressor but noble warriors, forced by unfortunate circumstances to go to war with USA. Although Pearl Harbor tried not to alter actual Second World War history in the manner The English Patient or U-571 had done, there were still plenty of historical inaccuracies – like US pilots changing militaries like some people change socks, President Roosevelt not being affected by polio or fighter pilots being chosen for the most delicate bomber mission. Most of the surviving Pearl Harbor veterans didn’t like the film and the sentiment was shared by most critics. It didn’t change much even with commercial results worldwide being good. While music soundtrack by Hans Zimmer represents one of the better works of his career, it is simply not enough to give Pearl Harbor passing grade or justify viewers spending three hours of their lives on something representing the worst excesses of contemporary Hollywood. Film’s reputation was cemented three years later, when Trey Parker’s Team America: World Police featured “End of an Act”, popular song dedicated exclusively to roasting Michael Bay’s work.

RATING: 2/10 (-)