World War II - War in the Pacific

Starring:Collector's Choice
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Major American campaigns in the Pacific during World War II are ably chronicled in this set of documentaries produced by the History Channel. The focus of the films is primarily U.S. Army and Marine action, as forces using an island-hopping strategy across the Pacific made amphibious landings that were usually followed by vicious combat against Japanese defenders. Action footage shot by American combat cameramen provides the bulk of the visual material, and many of the clips dramatically demonstrate what a terrible price was paid to conquer the islands. The narration of each documentary offers information about particular combat units, and strategy and tactics are explained with the use of maps. General Douglas MacArthur, as one might expect, receives a lot of attention, and Admiral William "Bull" Halsey has an entire documentary (which is actually an episode of the Biography series) devoted to him and his naval campaigns. One film focuses on jungle warfare in Burma and New Guinea, while another provides a quick-moving overview of how warplanes were deployed by both sides. MacArthur's triumphant return to the Philippines is featured in one documentary, and the American assault against fanatical resistance on Okinawa is the subject of another film. These films do not cover the entire Pacific War, but they are informative, visually compelling, and intelligently assembled. --Robert J. McNamara

Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers (Five-Disc Commemorative Edition)
Average customer rating:

terrible boring unwatchable nonsense

Iwo Jima

Great buy, and worth the wait for the whole set to arrive

FLAGS AND LETTERS FROM IWO

Present

Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers (Five-Disc Commemorative Edition)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000P1XITE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

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Flags of Our Fathers
Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities--and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign - after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
The two-disc special edition of Flags of Our Fathers offers a fine balance of behind-the-scenes production features and archival history. Disc 1 is entirely dedicated to Clint Eastwood's acclaimed wartime drama, paired with an abundance of special features on disc 2. First up is a three-minute introduction by Clint Eastwood, who explains his attraction to James Bradley's nonfiction bestseller, how he partnered with Steven Spielberg to coproduce this ambitious production, and the themes of wartime valor and misguided celebrity that he wished to illuminate. Next, author Bradley recalls the process of seeing his book translated to film (including interview clips with screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis) and his involvement with the production as an authoritative consultant. In the 20-minute featurette "Six Brave Men," the actors who played the celebrated Iwo Jima flag-raisers speak about their characters, how they fit into the history of Iwo Jima, and the responsibility of honoring their memories with historically accurate portrayals. "The Making of an Epic" is a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary covering all aspects of production, from the decision to film in Iceland (where black volcanic sand matched the barren beaches of Iwo Jima) to the individual contributions of key personnel, most notably cinematographer Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, costume designer Deborah Hopper, the late, great production designer Henry Bumstead, and Eastwood's longtime casting director, the late Phyllis Huffman. (The making-of feature is dedicated to Bumstead and Huffman, who both succumbed to cancer shortly after production was completed.) "Raising the Flag" (running a little over three minutes) focuses on the cast and crew's meticulous re-creation of the second Iwo Jima flag-raising, demonstrating the reverent care with which each soldier's movements were duplicated in exacting detail. "Looking into the Past" is a nearly 10-minute assembly of 1945 newsreel footage, showing many of the actual events that were dramatized in Eastwood's film, and demonstrating the impressive efforts that went into making Flags of Our Fathers as authentic as it could possibly be. The 15-minute "Visual Effects" featurette provides a detailed analysis of Digital Domain's diligent efforts to achieve convincing photo-realistic images in the film's epic-scale battle sequences, home-front bond rallies, and other sequences where CGI wizardry was required. The original theatrical trailer for Flags of Our Fathers is also included. --Jeff Shannon

Letters from Iwo Jima
Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.

"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon

On the bonus fifth disc is an A&E documentary Heroes of Iwo Jima from 2001 narrated by Gene Hackman, and "To the Shores of Iwo Jima," a 1945 short film that was Oscar-nominated for best documentary short.

Description

5 Disc Commemorative Collector's Edition includes Flags of Our Fathers 2-Disc Special Edition Letters From Iwo Jima 2-Disc Special Edition and bonus disc including 1) Heroes of Iwo Jima (History Channel documentary hosted by Gene Hackman) 2) To the Shores of Iwo Jima (Academy Award nominated 1945 UA short)

Customer Reviews:

terrible boring unwatchable nonsense.......2007-06-29

more boring bad filmmaking from this over rated stoic and sadly incompetent director-- i grant you- million dollar baby was great-- i guess because hillary swank was in it and even clint eastwood couldnt ruin her incredible devotion to perfection---but these two movies dispLay eastwoOds usuaL MISSTEPS AS A DIRECTOR-- CAMERA ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE-- NO BUILDING OF TENSION--hence NO RELEASE OF TENSION-- WHICH I THInK HE STRIVES FOR BUT ALWAYS MISSES --- HE CANT TELL A STORY AND APPARENTLY HAS NO CLUE HOW TO DIRECT ACTORS ---IF HE CASTS A GENIUS LIKE SWANK HE MIGHT GET LUCKY W THEM AND NOT RUIN THEIR WORK--OTHERWISE HIS INCOMPETENCE IS OVERWHELMING--NO PACE NOT A CHARACTER THAT ISNT WOODEN--LIKE HIMSWELF-- I FOUND THESE TWO MOVIES LITERALLY UNWATCHABLY BORING AND ILL CONCEIVED----so many american movies are so bad its doubly pATHETIC that this untalented guy is raised to such a high level by so many but understandable i guess when u consider the competition---are there any consistently great american directors anymore----w clint eastwoods paultry talents on top its a sad commentary indeed ---I LOVE WAR FILMS--- ARMY MOVIES I USED TO CALL THEM-- GUNS OF NAVARRONE-- DIRTY DOZEN-- BACK TO BATAAN---PEARL HARBOR !!!!LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ! BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI--- THE STORY OF GI JOE COMING HOME APOCOLYPSE NOW BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN COUNTRY JACKKNIFE--- BLACK HAWK DOWN AND THE MASTERPIECE OF THEM ALL-- THREE KINGS !!!! AMONG MANY MANY OTHERS-- MADE BY TALENTED FILMAKERS WHO KNeW WHAT THEY ARE DOING-- I HAD GREAT EXPECTATIONS W THESE TWO MOVIES--- BUT THE LACK OF PACE, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT STORY LINE--ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE MOVIE MAKING COMPELLING-- ALL ABSENT HERE---- MORE DRIVEL FROM THIS PATHETIC DIRECTOR !!!! I SAY TAKE HIS LICENSE AWAY !!!!!!

Iwo Jima.......2007-06-29

I am not a Clint Eastwood fan but these two films are really great. Seeing them together is the only way to get a full appreciation of the horros of war from both sides - the aggressors and the liberators.

Great buy, and worth the wait for the whole set to arrive.......2007-06-27

Also included is the special DVD with Gene Hackman hosting a look back at the battle. I've seen that before on the History Channel or the Military Channel, can't remember which. But I believe there are a few interviews in there with Charles Lindberg, who just recently passed on at 86 years of age. He was one of the first flag raisers, the one carrying a flame thrower.
Anyway, Awesome collections of two awesome movies.

FLAGS AND LETTERS FROM IWO.......2007-06-27

I thoroughly enjoyed both films. But I was particularly struck by the film "Letters from Iwo Jima". I have studied World War II history but this movie offers a different viewpoint of how the Japanese lived, fought and died. The lesson can be applied to today and future conflicts. The Japanese Commander was a patriot, bound to duty and yet was conflicted by his emotions and his duty to his country. Good lessons in leadership.

Present.......2007-06-27

This was given as a gift for my dad and he was so happy. I know he enjoyed the movies and I can't wait to borrow it too!

Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Average customer rating:

Great historical WWII film
Excise the PC section...
Definitely Worth Watching
Good movie, not historicly correct
Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood

Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Starring: Ken Watanabe , Tsuyoshi Ihara , Nae Yuki , Shidou Nakamura , and Ryo Kase
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Brothers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000O77RL4
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Customer Reviews:

Great historical WWII film.......2007-07-07

Well I never learned any of this in history class!! An Amazing look into the hearts and minds of the Japanese. Really wonderful and lovingly done. My heart broke for them, for the way they fought even though it was a complete loss. A great companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Excise the PC section..........2007-07-07

And you would have had a decent picture of the Japanese side of Iwo Jima. But, a thoroughly unneccesary section of the film where first a captured Marine is treated humanely by Baron Nishi, and then shortly thereafter, surrendered Japanese prisoners are executed by another Marine, sits in politically correct smugness smack in the middle of an otherwise decent film. It may make the "anti-war" message, but it rang false, and at that point the film faltered. True, earlier a Marine captive was shown beaten and bayoneted, but this was juxtaposed with another Japanese being burned to death, as if the Marine captive was being punished for that death. The reality of these battles was something else.

The historian William Manchester was a young Marine in the Pacific and in his book, Goodbye Darkness, about his experiences said that there was a tacit understanding between the Marines and Japanese in the island campaigns: neither side took many prisoners. At least while the battle was raging. That was just the way it was. Each campaign was a fight to the death. He also pointed out that the Marines always had help from native islanders against the Japanese, not because the islanders loved Marines or even knew what an American was, but because they hated the Japanese because of their brutality toward these conquered peoples.

Too bad, because otherwise this was a fine film pretty fairly showing the view from the other side of the cultural divide. It demonstrates the crazy waste and harshness of the Bushido code, most especially as it is sternly and unthinkingly applied to the average drafted Japanese soldier. It illustrates how these unyielding notions caused the needless sacrifice of their own troops in forced personal suicide and suicidal frontal assaults on fixed positions. It also showed the human dimension of these men left to do nothing else but die on that sulfurous rock. I had no problems with those elements of the film that depicted the common humanity of men with families and love of their country.

I liked the view of the unconventional General Kuribayashi's strategy, often undone by the willfully obtuse views of his own officers, and the equally effective view of life as lived by the common soldier, often starved and beaten by these same latter day samurai. The action scenes, as in Flags of Our Fathers, were well done and the production design I so admired in that film is, of course, still present here.

I liked the actors and the interplay between them. I admire the production values and this is often a quiet and interesting film. I certainly have no problem with seeing the flip side of the battle depicted in Flags of Our Fathers. I think the film was doing quite well in depicting the humanity of soldiers who, by and large, would rather be home or anywhere else. It didn't need any extra "message" slipped in, and while it might not bother others, I found it an unneccessary excess plea, and a bit disingenuous. At any rate, the film is worth seeing.

Definitely Worth Watching.......2007-07-05

Letters From Iwo Jima is dark. It is claustrophobic. It is gritty and painful and full of rocking explosions and the clatter of machine guns. It tells the story of Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima fighting for honor and to return home.

The characterizations were moving and original. The people in the film truly were human and showed the impact that war takes on the spirit. The atmosphere communicates completely the desperation and hopelessness of the soldiers and the numbing feeling of being so long in battle.

The script and the acting were both excellent and believable. I applaud the casting of Ninomiya Kazunari as Saigo, one of the main characters, a young soldier who just wants to return home to his wife and unborn child. Though the blurb on the back of the DVD case doesn't even mention Saigo, his story is part of the main focus of the story. I am very proud of Nino for being cast in this role. He is one of the reasons I saw this movie and I was not disappointed.

All in all, Letters is not a fun movie to watch. It's dark and bleak but it's a movie that most people, at least in the U.S. and Japan, should see. In the end, it is heart-wrenching and I was very glad that I'd seen it. It humanizes the war and makes you face the reality that our enemies of the time suffered as much as we did. As many have said, it tells the "other side of the story," and it's a story that we need to hear.

Good movie, not historicly correct.......2007-07-04

Not as good as Flags of Our Fathers, it doesn't show the true brutality of the Japanese. Its view is very sympithetic to the Japanese, but still a good movie.

Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood.......2007-07-04

Watched for 1hour 14 minutes in disappointment. The script is terrible. Don't make the mistake of watching this movie. Why all the hype? How can this be a Clint Eastwood directed movie? Firstly, this movie makes fun of sacrifice. It makes fun of the Japanese commitment to Japan. For sure I do not know precisely what happened at Iwo Jima, all I know is that 22000 fought till only 216 remained. That is a victory. As big as the firefighters of 9/11. It is something, it seems that Clint Eastwood, that willingly directed this movie, will never understand. Having no choice in life but to die honorably.

Iwo Jima was a last-stand before the enemy reached Japan, much like the Alamo. Soldiers don't harbor anti-war sentiment when your home and family is threatened - you pull together. Fight and die together. I didn't get the idea that there were 22000 soldiers on the island. The American forces were realistically depicted. This is a clear anti-war movie - only problem is that it makes fun of the commitment of a die-hard enemy facing destruction.

Average customer rating:

WWII: Payoff in the Pacific
in respons to the bob h review
Dated but very good
An impressive overview of America's war in the Pacific
Interesting War Footage

World War II: Payoff in the Pacific
Starring: Pearl Harbor
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005B1YQ
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Customer Reviews:

WWII: Payoff in the Pacific.......2006-11-04

Excellent DVD with classic footage of our retaking the offense in the Pacific theater. Price was terrific and delivery was right on time.

in respons to the bob h review .......2005-03-14

the movie dipitcs what happened back the im sorry he lost his uncle hey thats war but do you relize that the japaneis out side of the milatary did not no of the things there own contry was doing
{ and on the note of the torture of peapole the unitid states is guilty of the same thing in ww2 and we also had a sort of consontration camp for the japs two so you cant get made at the fact that they did that if we were doing the same dam thing

Dated but very good.......2005-03-04

Call it what you will, propaganda or whatever, this was the way it happened. As a student of WWII in the Pacific, I agonized over watching this movie bearing in mind that it all happened over sixty years ago. Other viewers need to keep the years of this war in perspective when comparing it to 21st century technology and modern movies with their stupendous special effects. This was history as it happened, and it wasn't pretty. One would do well to read about the ferocious battles of our soldiers, sailors, and marines in the South Pacific on such remote places as Wake Island, Iwo Jima, Kwajalein & Okinawa as well as viewing this DVD. And for that reviewer who found the word "japs" offensive, you should have been there buddy, they were called a lot worse than that. History has shown the japs were far worse than animals in how they treated our wounded soldiers and POW's, and I hate them to this day for killing my uncle. Semper Fi. May our boys rest in peace.

An impressive overview of America's war in the Pacific.......2004-06-16

The war in the Pacific has always been overshadowed by the war against Hitler in Europe, and it really should not be. I would have gladly chosen to take on the elite of the German Wehrmacht and S.S. before I would have signed on to take the war to Japanese soldiers. The Japanese were tough as nails; they gave no quarter and fought on long after most soldiers would have surrendered. They also enjoyed a home field advantage of sorts, as the American military had never fought a campaign against island chains full of jungles and the tropical diseases that thrive there. The story of America's war against Japan is really quite amazing and should be heralded as such. Much intense fighting took place between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as this video makes clear.

Indeed, Payoff in the Pacific begins with the sneak attack on the Pacific fleet and takes the viewer all the way through the Japanese surrender. Long before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, American soldiers were storming beaches all across the Pacific. In the days and months following December 7,1941, Japan all but established its supremacy in the region. It would take time for the U.S. to rebuild the Pacific fleet and get new recruits ready to fight, but even in 1942 U.S. soldiers were fighting the Japanese in places such as Papua and the Solomon Islands. This video basically takes you through the American advance toward Japan, island by island, featuring impressive and telling footage of the battles - you don't get a lot of detail about each battle, but the big picture comes through loud and clear. At first, the Americans basically tried to hold back the Japanese advance, losing many islands in the process. As the new army took shape, however, the tide slowly began to turn. Long and deadly fights such as the battle for Guadalcanal (which took six months) evolved into shorter and less deadly battles as the U.S. forces began to go on the offensive. By summer 1944, the Americans were ready to take back the Philippines, and it is here that Japanese defeat became all but inevitable. A vicious two-day naval battle in the Gulf of Leyte essentially broke the Japanese navy's back, and by early 1945 the army had taken Okinawa (albeit with heavy losses) to land itself on the proverbial doorstep of Japan. It was at that time that the Enola Gay made her way into the history books with the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. After Nagasaki fell prey to a second atomic bomb, the Japanese were compelled to surrender.

The video doesn't stop at the signing of surrender papers, however. It offers a significant glimpse at how quickly American troops went to work rebuilding the infrastructure of the nation they had just defeated. Not only did this pave the way for a new friendship between these two formerly antagonistic nations, it highlights the character of the men and women who made up the Greatest Generation of Americans. This video was released officially by the U.S. Army, but I don't consider it propagandistic - it may be one-sided in its approach, but this is an American film about an American victory.

Interesting War Footage.......2001-10-11

Undoubtably propaganda, this film was produced by the United States Army, and released to the defense community, as well as to the American public.

I am not usually interested by propaganda, but since this film discussed the sequence of events of World War II, a subject I am interested in, I decided to buy it. The film starts with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and ends with the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in the same order in which they happened during the war. This film uses actual footage taken during battle sequences.

Description

Though most people associate D-Day with the massive invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, few are aware that "D-Day" is actually military code for any amphibious operation--and few theaters during World War II saw as many battles as the waters of the Pacific, where more than 100 D-Days were waged. The ultimate guide to the epic campaign orchestrated by American forces, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® PRESENTS: D-DAYS IN THE PACIFIC includes the following documentary features: Death at the Tideline examines dozens of the more than one-hundred D-Days waged in the Pacific. Closing the Jaws focuses on America's rapidly improving tactics, while The Final Graveyard brings the war to a close as Japan's defenses are finally pierced. A sweeping overview based on eyewitness accounts, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® PRESENTS: D-DAYS IN THE PACIFIC rounds out the whole of the Pacific struggle with two A&E BIOGRAPHY® programs featuring Admiral Chester Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur, and a documentary about one of the deadliest battles of World War II, The Bloody Hills of Peleliu. DVD Features: Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Average customer rating:

Great footage, historically accurate but . . .
THERE'S A REASON IT'S CHEAP
Any one have a map, magic marker, and a pointer.

World War II - War in the Pacific
Starring: Collector's Choice
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005AA9E
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com

Major American campaigns in the Pacific during World War II are ably chronicled in this set of documentaries produced by the History Channel. The focus of the films is primarily U.S. Army and Marine action, as forces using an island-hopping strategy across the Pacific made amphibious landings that were usually followed by vicious combat against Japanese defenders. Action footage shot by American combat cameramen provides the bulk of the visual material, and many of the clips dramatically demonstrate what a terrible price was paid to conquer the islands. The narration of each documentary offers information about particular combat units, and strategy and tactics are explained with the use of maps. General Douglas MacArthur, as one might expect, receives a lot of attention, and Admiral William "Bull" Halsey has an entire documentary (which is actually an episode of the Biography series) devoted to him and his naval campaigns. One film focuses on jungle warfare in Burma and New Guinea, while another provides a quick-moving overview of how warplanes were deployed by both sides. MacArthur's triumphant return to the Philippines is featured in one documentary, and the American assault against fanatical resistance on Okinawa is the subject of another film. These films do not cover the entire Pacific War, but they are informative, visually compelling, and intelligently assembled. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews:

Great footage, historically accurate but . . ........2004-02-01

I purchased this set after buying the companion "WWII: War In Europe." On "War in Europe" I enjoyed the footage, and the scripting for that set was historically accurate and well conceived. The same is true for footage and scripting on "War in the Pacific." The vintage (remember the original footage is over fifty years old) video was good.

I do have complaints about "War In the Pacific," and that is the muddy sound track. There is no excuse for such a shoddy job; it sounded better on broadcast TV. It is most noticeable if you play the sound through your stereo/home theater system. The distorted sound is a little less noticeable through standard television speakers. The sound track on the companion volume, "War in Europe" was less distorted than "War in the Pacific."

Another reviewer mentioned that the video quality on the narrator shots (with Patrick O'Neal) was also poor. I reviewed it recently, and have to concur. The video deficit is especially easy to see if you have a TV with a Super VHS or Component Video input.

I gave "War in the Pacific" 3 stars due to poor sound and slipshod video work on the introduction/narration studio shots. If the soundtrack was not muddy and the intro shots were reproduced better I would have given it a 5 star rating. The good news is that, even with the deficits, the scripting and the vintage video are worth the modest price.

THERE'S A REASON IT'S CHEAP.......2001-07-11

First, the good news. You get about 3 hours for about fifteen bucks. Some of the combat footage is incredible. And, the documentaries are enjoyable.

Now, the bad news. Video and sound quality are poor. This is not DVD quality. Video of studio shots (the announcer, maps, etc.) are blurry and appear to be a dub of a VHS tape onto a DVD. Sound on the first disc is gated to reduce hiss; unfortunately, this leaves the sound rather choppy and unnatural-sounding, and lacking in upper frequencies (which reduces the intelligibility of the voice-over). Sound on the second disc is thankfully not mangled, but instead there is noticeable tape hiss. Since it's almost all combat footage (sometimes jerky, sometimes not focused, often poor contrast) the poor video quality is not as much an issue, especially since the footage is edited in sections barely longer than a few seconds each -- you barely have time to focus on it before it cuts away to something else. As far as the sound, I would not be surprised if it was manufactured later with sound effects. And by the time you reach the last documentary, you begin to recognize some of the footage which they had already used for another battle.

Also, this is not a comprehensive history of the Pacific War, but a collection of 20-min. documentaries from the mid-'80's each covering a key battle or some other subject. At least they do generally have them arranged in chronological order.

The verdict? It's a chance to get a lot of combat footage for cheap (although it's almost all American footage, and told from the American point of view). I'm generally happy with it, but the DVD quality sure could have been better.

Any one have a map, magic marker, and a pointer........2001-06-09

There are some really good shots of actual combat, but the 2 D.V.D. set completely lacks any sense of the overall picture of the war. The actual conflict between MacArthur and the Navy, why Midway was so important,in fact the overall strategy of the Navy is never really explained. I would have thought the History Channel could have done better. The best part is the story of Bull Halsey.

Catcom Crusade in the Pacific Collector's Edition

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Catcom Crusade in the Pacific Collector's Edition

Manufacturer: Catcom
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0007XC0VC

Product Description

This award winning Documentary is the complete and definiteve history of the Battle for the Pacific War Theatre spearheaded by General Douglas MacArthur. Starting with Imperial Japan's dreams of Pacific rule and ending with their near fatal annihilation. Thi presentation uses archival combat footage, interviews and newsreels to tell the story of the bloodiest conflict the world has ever encountered.

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World War II: War in the Pacific

Manufacturer: Diamond Ent. Corp.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000BWVBK
Release Date: 2003-01-01

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Crusade in the Pacific Volume 2

Manufacturer: Television Classics
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000B6TTMI

Product Description

Four shows of the 1951 docudrama on World War II. Episodes included are "The Surrender and Occupation of Japan," "Shifting Tides in the Orient," "War in Korea" & "The Navy Holds."

War in the Pacific with Walter Cronkite - Vol 1: The Seeds of War, the Pacific: War Begins

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War in the Pacific with Walter Cronkite - Vol 1: The Seeds of War, the Pacific: War Begins

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

The Seeds of War: A look at the events that set the stage for the coming war.
The Pacific: War Begins - Beginning with the attack of Pearl Harbor and the
Japanese seizing of Singapore, Asia, and Dutch Indies.
Doolittle raid on Japan homeland

ASIN: B000H99V4U

Product Description

The history of World War II is littered with stories of personal tragedy, epic battles, and ultimately a triumph over an oppressive regime. Famed journalist Walter Cronkite, who made his name with reports from the battle, offers a thoroughly insightful recollection of the conflict with this release. Split into three parts, the chronological approach takes a look at how the war started, the attack on Pearl Harbor, a detailed analysis of the battle in the Pacific, and a whole lot more.

WWII Battlefront - The Pacific Campaign 2 DVD Set (In Color)

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WWII Battlefront - The Pacific Campaign 2 DVD Set (In Color)

Manufacturer: Madacy Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Animated menus and direct sceen access.
Battlefront previews
Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; featurettes; photo gallery

ASIN: B000HK6C1E

Product Description

This two-disc set showcases rare archival color films of the Pacific Campaign, providing priceless historical documentation of great conflicts from World War II. Disc 1 includes: 'The Fall of Singapore', 'Pearl Harbor', 'The Battle of Midway','The Soloman Islands'. Disc 2 includes: 'The Gilbert Islands', 'Burma: The Forgotten Front', 'Battle in Palau', and 'Liberation of the Philippines'.

DVD:

DVD

Foxfire [WS] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Chapter Zero

Morrissey - The Malady Lingers On