The Movie
"Expertly Researched!" and "Meticulously Produced!", Fox's Tora! Tora! Tora! attempted an accurate recounting of the story on both sides of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In stark contrast to the vitriol evident in the newsreels of the era (included among the extras), this film--released a mere 29 years after the actual events--relies almost entirely upon documented fact, achieving a rational tone rather than glorifying or vilifying anyone.
That decision might ultimately have been the undoing of Tora! Tora! Tora!, named for the Japanese code words to indicate that their total surprise of the enemy had been achieved. It has long been a considered an outstanding dramatization of the specific events leading up to the December 7, 1941 air assault, which in turn sealed America's entry into World War II. The movie lays out the broad motivations and specific causes-and-effects that resulted in more than 2,400 American casualties in less than two hours, the scenes offering subtle details and explanations while revealing the many mistakes by our decision-makers, big and small, unfortunate or just plain dumb.
This new disc, released in time for the recently passed 70th anniversary of the attack, allows us to select either the theatrical or the alternate Japanese version. The latter runs about four minutes longer, with additional scenes that show more of the proceedings from the Japanese point of view.
The Picture
The presentation of the seldom-seen Japanese version in particular mandated an extensive restoration of Tora! Tora! Tora! The resulting 2.35:1 AVC video is wonderfully clean and stable, and brimming with better-than-expected details, be they an actor's wrinkles or the pattern in the background wallpaper. The colors display that pleasing 1970s warmth.
Blacks however are another matter, exhibiting that all-too-common murkiness, particularly problematic for all of the dark scenes and especially upon the black Japanese naval uniforms. At one point a cadre of sailors is huddled together and it looks like they are draped in a single sheet with no nuance whatsoever. Some edge enhancement was noted, but nothing too distracting, while grain is present but at pleasing, organic levels.
The film won the Oscar for Best Special Visual Effects of 1970, for the extensive use of blue-screen compositing, miniatures and more, and these tricks are generally employed more convincingly here than in some other epics of the period, and well-maintained in high definition. One of the challenges was apparently matching the quality of the picture from scene to scene despite the use of different cameras and 35mm film stocks, and decades of uneven deterioration, and here Fox has succeeded masterfully.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel remix offers a lovely spaciousness even when there's not a lot of discrete activity in the different speakers. A deck full of sailors laughing heartily for example can be a powerful, engaging moment. Surrounds are used largely for fill, planes flying overhead or in the distance, but during the big Act III battle I found it all to be very front-heavy. Jerry Goldsmith's musical score has also been restored, but does not appear to be a new multichannel mix, as studios sometimes create for other modern reissues.
The film's original 4.0 mix is also thoughtfully included, in Dolby Digital quality.
The Extras
When you make a movie about events as momentous as those at Pearl Harbor seven decades ago, you open the door to a wealth of bonus content. Fox has included here a total of ten relevant vintage Movietone shorts, 40 minutes total, reminding us how people received their news before the days of television.
The 2001 "Day of Infamy" documentary (20 minutes) concentrates on the historic facts, while "History vs. Hollywood - Tora! Tora! Tora!: A Giant Awakes" (90 minutes, narrated by Burt Reynolds!) sets out to determine if the filmmakers got it right. The appropriate episode of AMC Backstory (22 minutes) goes behind the scenes of movie, gossip and all.
A pair of still photo galleries can play as slideshows (two or six minutes) or we can flip through at our own pace. In an impressive move for a catalog title packed with previously-released bonus content, Fox has presented all of the video extras in either 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 HD. The audio commentary from director Richard Fleischer and Japanese film historian Stuart Galbraith IV is also ported over, and it all arrives tucked inside a photo-/fact-filled hardbound book.
Final Thoughts
An illuminating if not always engaging retelling of one of the portentous events in world history, Tora! Tora! Tora! benefits from a solid restoration and HD extras in a handsome package, perfect for gift-giving to the World War II buff on your list.
Product Details
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