Attack in the Pacific

This Second World War military documentary details the war in the Pacific Ocean between Japan and the United States. It details not only the conflict but the battleground itself, namely the Pacific Ocean, its islands and peoples. It looks at some battles and tactics used by the U.S. Its value as a historical documentary is somewhat limited though, as it was essentially a propaganda film used to show the folks back in America how the war effort was justified and going strong. Because it was released during the war itself it is always going to be very biased towards the American effort and little will be known about the Japanese tactics and motivations.

Nevertheless, it still is a fascination film for other reasons. Firstly as an example of a message movie but secondly, and much more importantly nowadays, for the incredible war footage it captures. There is all sorts of real material ranging from soldiers goofing around on leave to grim images of dead men washed up on a beach. But most impressive of all the naval battle scenes. In these we really get quite an impression of the truly frightening situation these men were in, with burning aircrafts flying low overhead, constant gunfire and massive explosions. So, while this is (understandably) limited as a documentary about the war itself, it has some impressive and important images. Footage that must never be forgotten.

There are over 10000 islands within the Pacific Ocean located between Asia and America, the vast majority of which possess little geopolitical importance in periods of peace but, during the Second World War, a good many of these outposts suffered through the dismal experience of armed conflict between two widely separated nations: Japan and the United States. This dramatic documentary, an Armed Forces Information Film, completed a year before the war's end, is dedicated to the men of the United States Navy, a fighting organization which fulfilled a most significant role in bringing about the defeat of Japan; the combat footage, although propagandistic, is startling. Following a valuable introduction describing the variegated Pacific islands and their denizens, effective use is made of film and graphics to describe the spread of Japanese military power from its base south to Australia, including the attack at Pearl Harbor, and provides excellent coverage of the methods used by members of the Allies, particularly the U.S., to prepare for counterattacks against Japan, bloodily advancing from island to island. Top-flight editing marks this work wherein all scenes are filmed by combat photographers, and although largely devoted to Naval/Marine achievements, the contributions of both the American Army and Army Air Force are highlighted as well, and scenes of the Jimmy Doolittle led bombing attack of Tokyo are particularly memorable.