MIDWAY

US, 2019, 138 minutes, Colour.
Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Luke Kleintank, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Keean Johnson, Nick Jonas, Etaushi Toyokawa.
Directed by Roland Emmerich.

2020 sees the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the collapse of the ambitions of the Nazis and the Third Reich, the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the surrender of the Japanese. It may be a year in which audiences will be seeing World War II films.

And this immediately the case with Midway.

At some moments during the action of this film, Oscar-winning film director, John Ford, is seen with his cameras filming an air clash, under fire – the result of which was his 18 minute documentary, Battle of Midway, Ford was billed as Lt Commodore John Ford U.S.N.R, and the footage was edited, narrated by his Grapes of Wrath stars, Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. Interestingly, over 30 years later, Henry Fonda played Adml Nimitz in the 1976 Midway. Ford’s film won the Oscar for Best Documentary, 1943. The incident in this present film is a pleasing tribute to him.

This film has been directed by German director, Roland Emmerich, who has had a very successful career in the United States, especially with big budget spectacles from Godzilla to The Day After Tomorrow and two Independence Day films. He brings his skills to bear with the spectacle of both Pearl Harbour and Midway. And, he has vast resources for special effects to immerse his audience in the experience and the action, the air, on the sea, under the sea.

In fact, at the beginning of the film, he has a vivid re-creation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the suddenness, the intensity, the incessant bombardment, the sinking of the fleet, the many deaths. This sets the tone for the rest of the film and American action against the Japanese in the first six months of 1942. (When one looks at Japanese attacks from India down to Australia across to the Philippines the first half of 1942, it is amazing to see how rapid was the Japanese action at this time.)

While there are some fictitious aspects to the story, and some rather ordinary and expected sequences and dialogue, it is the background and the war action that is important. The film uses real-life characters, intelligence agents, admirals, sailors and pilots. And, at the end, there are photos of each of the central characters and some information about their war activity and in the aftermath of the war.

Which means then that we see Admiral Chester Nimitz, in charge of operations in the Pacific, Admiral Halsey commander of ships in active service, James Doolittle and his mission of dropping bombs on Tokyo as early as 1942 and his crash landing in China, Edwin Layton, Naval attache in prewar Japan, warning about a possible attack at Pearl Harbor and this being bypassed, his skills in determining that there would be a confrontation at Midway. There is also his assistant, a decoding genius, Rochefort. These characters are played by, respectively, Woody Harrelson (disconcerting to see him with thick white hair but realising at the end this was exactly Admiral Nimitz), Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Patrick Wilson, Brennan Brown.

There are also some portraits of lower ranks, especially Dick Best, over-cocky in his young days, having to take on responsibilities when he was put in command, the only pilot during World War II who sank two ships on the one day. His played by Ed Skrein. Luke Evans, Keean and Nick Jonas (heroically dragging a large bomb to prevent it exploding on the carrier) as well as Mandy Moore as Dick Best’s wife, round out the cast.

While the film gives great deal of attention to the Americans, there is also a great deal of attention given to the Japanese, quite a large Japanese acting cast, to Admiral Yamamoto, to the other Naval leaders, their skills, their mistakes, their kamikaze daring, their shock at losing at Midway.

It is no bad thing to revisit some of the key battles and encounters of World War II.

1. Audience knowledge of World War II, the Battle of Midway? America and Japan? Pearl Harbor? Midway?

2. The different versions of the battle, the homage here to John Ford and his documentary? The 1970s version? 21st-century retrospect?

3. Audience knowledge, the explanations in the screenplay, dates, times, strategies?

4. The visual impact of Pearl Harbor, the recreation, the special effects, deaths, the cost, disbelief, comrades dying, the sinking of the ships, the episode of the burnt hands on the rope? Roosevelt’s speech? Yamamoto listening to it, turning it off? The sleeping giant confronting Japan?

5. The introduction to Layton? In Japan, Naval Attache, knowing Yamamoto, their conversation, the impending war? Yamamoto, his American education, skills? His rule during the war? The motivations for Pearl Harbor and the attack? War?

6. The range of actual characters, their portraits, heroism, strategies, achievement? The final photos and the history information?

7. Intelligence, Layton, his role, his abilities, character? The family relationships? His warnings about Pearl Harbor, not believed? At work, his capability, his collaboration with Rochefort, the men from the band and the sunken ship? Decoding skills? The hidden clues? Rochefort and his analogy explanations of the wedding and the background information? The effect of the intelligence, prepared for Midway?

8. Admiral Nimitz, Woody Harrelson and his impersonation, the appointment, his discussions with Layton, going to Hawaii, the discussions with Rochefort? His decisions, their basis, consultations, his achievement?

9. Halsey, his nickname Bull? His command, personality, tough, with the pilots and their strikes? His shingles and his being in hospital?

10. The focus on Dick Best, his experience, cowboy attitudes, his angers, his grief at the deaths at Pearl Harbor, finding the corpse, the ring? His relationship with his wife, daughter? Her strong personality, asking questions about his promotions? The meal, with Mc Cluskey, the dancing? Skill as a pilot, his missions, his abilities, daredevil? Halsey promoting him? His various friends? His care for Murray, allowing for his fears, taking him as his wing? His exercise of authority? The finale, the caustic soda, his perseverance and success?

11. The individual sailors and pilots, Bruno, his heroism in stopping the bomb? His being taken, in the raft, the anchor and the torture, the cigarette? Mc Cluskey, the initial clashes with Best, flights, his being wounded?

12. The intelligence about Midway, the Japanese, the preparation, the range of ships? The armaments? The American strategy, repairing the York, its sailing to Midway? The range of planes, dive bombers? The battles, the strafing, the bombings, torpedoes, the destruction, the offices going down with their ship? Japanese loyalties?

13. Doolittle, the preparation for Tokyo, the bombs, the difficulties, taking off, detonation in Tokyo? The crash landing, being taken by the Chinese, the interpreter, the cigarette lighter, Japanese humiliated – and the final information about the thousands of Chinese killed because of the Doolittle raid?

14. Americans and Japanese under fire, planes, flights, dangers, flames? The submarines and the torpedoes?

15. America, the achievement, the trap of Midway? The Japanese and their being wounded in the war? The background of the Battle of the Coral Sea? The background of the taking of the Philippines?

16. The ordinariness of the dialogue, contrasting with the action and effects of the battles?