Watch Pearl Harbor: Surprise Attack Or Anticipated Event?

Pearl Harbor is a dramatic retelling of the events that led up to the surprise attack on the naval base in Hawaii, the aftermath, and the impact it had on the United States during World War II. The movie tells the story of two best friends, Rafe McCawley (played by Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (played by Josh Hartnett), who both enlist in the airforce, hoping to fight for their country. Rafe falls in love with a beautiful nurse, Evelyn (played by Kate Beckinsale), while stationed in the United Kingdom, and promises to come back for her. However, he is presumed dead after his plane is shot down in the Battle of Britain.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Danny and Evelyn are thrust into the frontlines of the war effort, and their relationship evolves as they come to terms with the loss of Rafe. Meanwhile, Rafe is actually alive and is rescued by a farmer and his family in Nazi-occupied France. He eventually returns to the United States and is reunited with Evelyn, but his re-entry into their lives is complicated by the fact that she has become romantically involved with Danny.

As the United States comes to grips with the true scale of the damage done during the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin Roosevelt (played by Jon Voight) addresses the nation and declares war on Japan. The rest of the movie follows the war effort, with Rafe, Danny, and Evelyn all serving in various capacities.

Pearl Harbor is a somewhat controversial movie, as many critics have pointed out that it takes considerable liberties with history in order to tell a more entertaining story. For example, the central love triangle between Rafe, Danny, and Evelyn is entirely fictional and did not have any basis in reality. In addition, some of the scenes depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor itself have been criticized for being inaccurate or overly melodramatic.

Despite these flaws, however, Pearl Harbor remains a stirring and engaging movie that manages to capture the mood and spirit of the time period quite effectively. The acting performances are generally strong, with Affleck, Hartnett, and Beckinsale all delivering solid performances that help to anchor the film.

One of the main themes of Pearl Harbor is the idea of sacrifice and heroism in the face of incredible adversity. The characters in the movie are all portrayed as brave and selfless, risking their lives to protect their country and the people they love. This is perhaps most clearly exemplified by the famous Doolittle Raid, which is depicted in the movie and is widely considered to be one of the most daring and courageous missions of the entire war.

In addition to its depiction of the war effort, Pearl Harbor also explores some of the political and social issues of the time period. For example, there is a scene in the movie where a young Japanese-American man is forcibly taken away from his family and interned in a detention camp, highlighting the rampant racism and discrimination that existed at the time.

Overall, Pearl Harbor is a compelling and entertaining movie that offers a somewhat romanticized and dramatized version of the events surrounding the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. While it may not be entirely historically accurate, it does succeed in creating a vivid and engaging portrayal of the war effort and the sacrifices made by those who fought for their country.