The document discusses the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent American entry into World War 2. It analyzes the 1942 film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" about the Pearl Harbor attack, noting several historical inaccuracies presented in the film that seem intended to glorify American forces and downplay Japanese resistance. The document questions whether historical truth can be obtained from films, as the perspectives are often limited and biased depending on who produces the film.

2. When the attacked happened (on 7 Dec. 1941), the US was not involved in WWII. The Japanese attacked because: The US oil embargo, due to seizing some parts of China, against Japan was hurting the Japanese economy.

3. The US joined the WWII This would change the fate of the war (e.g. atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki  Japan’s surrender and the Ally victory of the war).

4. The Doolittle Raid – as a response to Pearl Harbor attack on the Japanese Home Islands. http://www.youtube.com/watch?vpa=yxqU_WH8Cd0&feature=player_detailpage#t=381s

5. The bombers are shown flying together at somewhat high altitude  NO! The Japanese targets are shown to suffer very heavy bombing damage  NO! The Japanese land and air defense forces are shown to resist against the American bombers during the attack  NO!

6. The Doolittle Raid did happen as a response to the Japanese attack, however in the movie it is somewhat exaggerated to glorify the American bombers. Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, becoming the first African American to receive that honor. However, he did not shoot any of the Japanese planes down , as it is shown in the movie.

7. The Japanese architect of the attack, Yamamoto, says at the end that he fears he has “awakened a sleeping giant.”  There is no evidence of such a thought until Japan is about to lose the war after several years. This is again a propaganda piece glorifying the American strength. There are many more differences which are used by the creators of the movie to ‘dramatize’ and ‘fictionalize’ the event.

8. The film was made by Americans, therefore we are likely to see bias and an American approach of the event.  Thus leading to propaganda The same applies if the Japanese had made the film. This time glorification of the military strength of the Japanese army. The movie could have contained also justification for the Japanese attack.  Japanese propaganda, affecting the public opinion. Are the perspectives on this event limited only with the two?  NO! Another perspective: The movie is regarded a movie with full of inaccuracies and it claims that “the movie degrades the Japanese society as if they are hungry for a war.” The Turkish perspective also finds the Japanese justified to attack.

9. How do we acquire truth through history and how do we acquire truth through arts? Is the truth one and the same, even though related to one and the same event?

10. http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j052101.html http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213149/goofs http://variagate.com/pearlfax.htm