This was directed by William Wyler and narrated by Robert Taylor (LT, USNR). It's an effective color film of some of the battles in which the carrier Enterprise was involved up to and including much of 1944.
For those familiar with the historical setting, some of it may be rudimentary. Reserve officers are known as "ninety-day wonder" and gossip is called "scuttlebutt." And some of the gun camera footage will be familiar, but much of it is new, at least to me. The newer footage isn't as good as the rest, which, I suppose, is why it's less often borrowed for use in other documentaries and in feature films like "Flying Leathernecks." Some footage of crashes on the flight deck have been borrowed and used repeatedly in other films.
It's an hour long and it covers three main battles of increasing intensity: a raid on Makin Island, the pre-invasion preparation of Kwajalein, and the battle of the Phillipine Sea. The last is generally referred to as "the Marianas turkey shoot," in that we lost some twenty-two airplanes compared to the Japanese three hundred and some. No mention of the airplanes lost while returning in darkness, or of Mitscher exposing his fleet by having the ships turn on their searchlights to guide the lost aircraft home. And the Japanese flyers are described as believing that aerobatics can save them whereas our aviators believe in smooth flying and straight shooting. The fact is that by this time most of the seasoned Japanese pilots had been lost and their airplanes were now flown by novices with far less flight time and training than our own. Not to mention that the Zero had about half the horsepower of the American fighters and were forced to rely mainly on the maneuverability of their aircraft.
The narration is reasonably accurate. When Lt. Taylor tells us that a destroyer is being strafed, we don't see some lowly trawler getting the business. He explains what a gun camera is and introduces us to the various duties of the crew as well as the aviators.
Between and before engagements there are the usual formulaic scenes of men receiving mail, baking bread, playing acey ducey, being bored, attending religious services, chowing down, and so forth.
World War II was not a war of choice. We were at peace when we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Three days later, Hitler declared war on the United States. And this is a flag waver designed to boost morale at home and in the Armed Forces. And yet, at a remove of some seventy years, there's still something disturbing about the way Robert Taylor's voice conveys his contempt for the enemy. It's not just that he, or rather the writer, calls them "monkeys" but it's in the other, more subtle ways, in which the "Japs" are dehumanized. "That's one Jap ship that won't be taking more rice and saki to the soldiers". And "when our planes left, Kwajalein was burning verrry satisfactorily." And, "There's something grand about boring down on the base the Japanese have so jealously guarded." "That Mavis is a tough old bird," as ten men die a flaming death.
No blame attaches to Taylor, the writer or director, and certainly not to the men, some of whom we get to know before they are lost in action. The movie did its job in its time and is still a fascinating picture of a ship at war. The sad thing is not the movie or the ship but war itself, so heroic and so foolish.
For those familiar with the historical setting, some of it may be rudimentary. Reserve officers are known as "ninety-day wonder" and gossip is called "scuttlebutt." And some of the gun camera footage will be familiar, but much of it is new, at least to me. The newer footage isn't as good as the rest, which, I suppose, is why it's less often borrowed for use in other documentaries and in feature films like "Flying Leathernecks." Some footage of crashes on the flight deck have been borrowed and used repeatedly in other films.
It's an hour long and it covers three main battles of increasing intensity: a raid on Makin Island, the pre-invasion preparation of Kwajalein, and the battle of the Phillipine Sea. The last is generally referred to as "the Marianas turkey shoot," in that we lost some twenty-two airplanes compared to the Japanese three hundred and some. No mention of the airplanes lost while returning in darkness, or of Mitscher exposing his fleet by having the ships turn on their searchlights to guide the lost aircraft home. And the Japanese flyers are described as believing that aerobatics can save them whereas our aviators believe in smooth flying and straight shooting. The fact is that by this time most of the seasoned Japanese pilots had been lost and their airplanes were now flown by novices with far less flight time and training than our own. Not to mention that the Zero had about half the horsepower of the American fighters and were forced to rely mainly on the maneuverability of their aircraft.
The narration is reasonably accurate. When Lt. Taylor tells us that a destroyer is being strafed, we don't see some lowly trawler getting the business. He explains what a gun camera is and introduces us to the various duties of the crew as well as the aviators.
Between and before engagements there are the usual formulaic scenes of men receiving mail, baking bread, playing acey ducey, being bored, attending religious services, chowing down, and so forth.
World War II was not a war of choice. We were at peace when we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Three days later, Hitler declared war on the United States. And this is a flag waver designed to boost morale at home and in the Armed Forces. And yet, at a remove of some seventy years, there's still something disturbing about the way Robert Taylor's voice conveys his contempt for the enemy. It's not just that he, or rather the writer, calls them "monkeys" but it's in the other, more subtle ways, in which the "Japs" are dehumanized. "That's one Jap ship that won't be taking more rice and saki to the soldiers". And "when our planes left, Kwajalein was burning verrry satisfactorily." And, "There's something grand about boring down on the base the Japanese have so jealously guarded." "That Mavis is a tough old bird," as ten men die a flaming death.
No blame attaches to Taylor, the writer or director, and certainly not to the men, some of whom we get to know before they are lost in action. The movie did its job in its time and is still a fascinating picture of a ship at war. The sad thing is not the movie or the ship but war itself, so heroic and so foolish.