Pearl Harbor
Published August 13, 2023
Film info
- Title Pearl Harbor
- Director Michael Bay
- Year 2001
- Run time 3hrs 3m
- Genres War, Drama, History, Romance
- Tagline It takes a moment to change history. It takes love to change lives.
Astounding visual and audio effects put you at the center of the event that changed the world - that early Sunday morning in paradise when warplanes screamed across the peaceful skies of Pearl Harbor and jolted America into World War II. This real-life tale of catastropic defeat, heroic victory, and personal courage focuses on the war's devastating impact on two daring young pilots, and a beautiful, dedicated nurse.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 3:10 | The dad will definitely notice… sure I left my plane at the other end of the runway. |
| 7:33 | “That’s bullshit, McCawley, but it’s very, very good bullshit.” |
| 12:44 | She’s a smart lady. |
| 14:54 | I don’t want to be judgy, but I feel like she should have her hair tied up. |
| 25:02 | I dunno, hanging halfway down the side of a ship, is that romantic? |
| 37:13 | That must be so hard, making friends only for them to not be around anymore. |
| 39:35 | “A smart enemy hits you exactly where you think you’re safe.” No one’s going to listen to this guy, are they? |
| 48:01 | The fact you can just tell the news from a car pulling up. |
| 1:00:44 | Quite a good talk about feelings for a group of guys. |
| 1:03:44 | Little bit worried about the parachutes being packed properly now. |
| 1:09:00 | “Informed intuition.” “We guess.” |
| 1:22:02 | The calendar thing is famously wrong, right? |
| 1:30:15 | This is where Michael Bay comes into his own. |
| 1:39:43 | The missile gliding through the legs of all the people - oof. |
| 2:01:45 | The lipstick is genius but I feel like in the heat it wouldn’t last long. |
| 2:12:26 | “I like sub commanders, they don’t have time for bullshit and neither do I.” |
| 2:27:44 | Hi, remember me, I had my fingers in your neck. |
| 2:38:58 | That’s a heck of a soundproof door they’ve got. |
| 2:50:24 | “We know both more and less.” True of history all the time. |
Thoughts
I always sort of remember this movie as ’the other long one that’s not as good as Titanic’ but actually rewatching it after a long while, it was better than I remembered it. It is too long, really, it doesn’t need to be that drawn out, and you can easily see why it’s called one of the most inaccurate military history movies ever. And I’m not convinced of the chemistry between any of the three leads, really.
But having said all that, I was so impressed with the attack sequence - a solid half hour of explosions and chaos and grief, but all of it completely captivating. It was Michael Bay using his penchant for blowing things up on screen but in the best possible way. The good stuff is great, it’s just wrapped up in a bit of a soggy love story.
Rating: 3 / 5