Midway 8/10

Midway (PG) 1976
Reviewer’s Tilt (5)
War-131min
Special DVD Features worth a look-Making of Midway Featurette

Crank up the big screen and plug in the subwoofer; this one is big and loud. Even if your home theater cannot quite replicate the original “Sensurround” experience and the intentionally graininess appears blurry on your new plasma screen, Midway will still leave your heart thumping. Recreating the most pivotal naval battle of WWII, Midway follows United States forces as they track Japan’s elusive fleet of aircraft carriers six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fate and luck play heavy roles in shifting the advantage, making these true events even larger than life. Told through the fictional character of Captain Matthew Garth (Charlton Heston), the film explores the personal, political and human impact of this decisive victory. Despite being over two hours long, the movie moves quickly, sacrificing neither coherence nor plausibility. The reason this great story took over three decades to hit the big screen was its sheer scale.

Integral to the story are the interaction of several aircraft carriers, dozens of support ships and hundreds of aircraft, many of which were no longer even in existence. To overcome these logistical problems, the film interweaves war footage and scenes from other movies, adding epic scope and realism to the story. Realizing you are watching actual lives being lost adds both a soberness and somberness to the historical tale. The film does a fine job of balancing United States and Japanese jingoism, while highlighting the racial tension of the time. Midway also boldly explores the United States’ deplorable treatment of Japanese Americans during the war.

Despite chronicling one of the United States’ most impressive victories, the film does not fall victim to Japan bashing. Instead, the film portrays the Japanese as intelligent, resourceful and patriotic. The screenplay was so objective in its portrayal of the Japanese, that it was able to land Toshirô Mifune in the role of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. The quality and the objectivity of the storyline, led to the film playing extremely well even in Japan. In addition to Heston and Mifune, the film boasts the talents of Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Hal Holbrook, Robert Mitchum, Pat Morita, Glenn Ford, and Robert Wagner. Look closely and you might even catch a glimpse of burgeoning newcomers Tom Selleck and Erik Estrada.

Format: Color, Widescreen Anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital Mono)
Extras: Featurettes: "They Were There," "The Making of Midway," John Williams’ score, Sensurround, Additional scenes shot for television, photos, trailer, production notes.