Mum's Monday: Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

The start of the film is a mix of two boys just playing and ultimately having an exhilarating life changing experience, and a lesson in war is not an event to use against someone. It is sad to see that a boy mixing up his letters in the past was seen as ‘Stupid’ when we know as in the nature of this film he has so much more he can contribute to life, proving life is not all academic.

Sadly, the reference to the first world war, although commonly used as in ‘The war to end all wars’ we know the second world war happened, but it is nice to hear that there was hope for no more death and destruction in war.

It is amusing to see the medical centre and checks; it was harsh in more ways than one, but it is what the government wants so the government gets it. So we know Rafe (Ben Affleck) gets his letters mixed up but is an excellent pilot with perfect eyesight, and deserves to keep his wings. So yes he needs help, but it has been bought to my attention as to what use is a cheat sheet. Surely he would mix that up too. They could have come up with a better story line as to how he met Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale)

It is strangely amusing how many jabs Rafe ended up having and the resulting busted nose loosely what you could call a date. Now Rafe is off to join the British war effort and Evelyn and Danny (Josh Hartnett) are off to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

You now see the usual long distance relationship, letter writing, this is all interweaved in the fact a war is going on. However, in a film about Pearl Harbor, why have the British element in it? A love triangle could have happened anyway. This film doesn’t need the British war scenes. There have been many films called by different titles to where and when they have been set so the film all fits. This film is called ‘Pearl Harbor’ but with much more other events going on, this film should have been called by another title to accommodate all of this film.

It is nice to see Danny be there for Evelyn when tragedy strikes, and this film also shows, that true to form, friends do fight.

Now the war has hit Pearl Harbor but this film still cuts away from the attack to focus on Danny and Rafe. If they were closer to the action like on an airfield that would have been more appropriate as to them taking planes up and shooting down enemy planes. I know the attack was unexpected but the two main characters should have been in the centre of it, there was a known choice for that to happen in this film.

Due to the nature of the surprise attack the way the nurses and the army men/pilots reacted was well done. It is tragic that it wasn’t just the men on the ships that were killed. The action scenes and the special effects are done well.

To see the nurses working under pressure reinforces the dramatic nature of the surprise attack and is realistically done well.

Now we move on to the revenge attack making this film too long and diverse to be called just ‘Pearl Harbor’

It is heart-warming to see Rafe step up after tragedy strikes and all the men get the recognition for the parts they played in the war effort.

Everyone who deserves credit should get it. Whoever they are or where ever they come from.