Customer Reviews

Pearl Harbor - Two Hours That Changed the World [VHS]

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This is a truly well-done presentation of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Made for television, it is viewer friendly, not an academic, scholarly treatment that will lose all but the college-educated. This is not to say that the information is watered down or diluted. Rather, it is simply a well-orchestrated video story of Pearl Harbor, as told through the voices of those who lived it.

The video relies heavily on interviews of both Americans who were stationed there in Pearl, as well as (and this is especially powerful) a couple of the Japanese fighter pilots who dropped the bombs. It is a chronological piece, beginning with an overview of why we were in Pearl Harbor (an out-of-the-way post in paradise) and why the Japanese felt it necessary to bomb it. It ends with a the current state (1991) of Pearl Harbor, the memorial, and testimonies of survivors. The stories of survival and the manner in which the actual attack is presented is incredibly moving. The narration by David Brinkley throughout is well-done and fills in the gaps not covered by the interviewees. Includes actual footage as well as portions of Jack Ford's recreation film produced shortly after the attack to give it a greater visual appeal.

If you're looking for a powerful overview of Pearl Harbor that will keep you glued to your seat, look no further.

I had seen this ABC special several years ago and thought it very good. Although it was for the 50th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and we're now at the 70th anniversary, I still found it informative and entertaining.