Tora stands for tiger. It was the code word that the attack of the Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor is a surprise and success.
The movie was shot as two separate productions - one in Japan, one in the USA. The Japanese production was headed by Kurosawa for 2 years when he was replaced (for good) with Kinji Fukasaku. The US production was directed by Richard Fleischer.
Tora! Tora! Tora! objectives were realism and sticking to the facts. That’s probably what doomed it at the box office in when it was released in 1970. That same year another war movie was released - Patton which grossed 70 million so it does help if the hero is an American.
The Japanese side definitely had the advantage, and I don’t mean just militarily. The Japanese side has a story to tell - an engaging one at that. Their victory depended on one factor - surprise - as they were outnumbered and outgunned. Kinji Fukasaku does an excellent job of directing the Japanese production. I wasn’t bored by the US scenes (mishaps in communication and what not) but they paled in comparison to their Japanese counterparts.
Japanese performances came out much stronger as well. I was especially thrilled to see Takahiro Tamura as Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. I didn’t recognize any of the Japanese actors but they seemed well cast.
I recently saw The Caine Mutiny again. This one isn’t that dated but definitely old war movies are an acquired taste. Movies with a single protagonist are easier to chew - I highly recommend Patton - George C. Scott is simply amazing.
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