Starting with the Lincoln Quote from the Gettysburg Address through the Rah Rah ending, this war movie perfectly reflects the time it is made. These were the dark times when the Pearl Harbor Attack happened. It is the equal to 9/11/2001 in it's time.
This movie is about rallying the troops by telling the story of the B-17 Mary-Ann, which starts with the plane flying into Pearl Harbor after the attack all the way to the Philippines. It is quite a story as the tragic consequences of the start of the war are worked into the story.
The mood of war propaganda is captured perfectly. In fact, I be the entire movie had to be approved by every government censor of the era. The special effects are top notch and the final battle sequence where it appears half of the Japanese Navy is sunk is pure propaganda.
Still, Warner Brothers is successful here packaging the story to the mass audience at the time. The action is worth the admission even if the story is lacking due to the censors.
This movie is about rallying the troops by telling the story of the B-17 Mary-Ann, which starts with the plane flying into Pearl Harbor after the attack all the way to the Philippines. It is quite a story as the tragic consequences of the start of the war are worked into the story.
The mood of war propaganda is captured perfectly. In fact, I be the entire movie had to be approved by every government censor of the era. The special effects are top notch and the final battle sequence where it appears half of the Japanese Navy is sunk is pure propaganda.
Still, Warner Brothers is successful here packaging the story to the mass audience at the time. The action is worth the admission even if the story is lacking due to the censors.