Boats vs Tanks, and Honor vs Idolization: Tora Tora Tora! vs Patton.

Boats vs Tanks:

Tora Tora Tora! And Patton. 

Somewhat coincidentally in 1970 two of the most critically acclaimed war movies of all time were released. Made very differently and with wildly different purposes for being made. One was made for historical accuracy, while another was a great example of cold war patriotism. Even better, they both are World War II movies. Even better, both are in completely different parts of the war. It is movies like these that make the amateur historian very happy, both go to such long lengths to make their movies not only be as historically accurate as possible, but both look amazing.

Just how amazing you ask. 

Well, I would say them both being nominated for best visual effects is pretty good. 

TORA! TORA TORA! Is a film that depicts the Pearl Harbor attacks and goes very far to be historically accurate and look beautiful while doing it. Made by two film teams, one Japanese and one American, offering a view of the Pearl Harbor attacks that Americans don't see often. Much of the film is from the perspective of Imperial Japan´s military commander in chief, Isoroku Yamamoto. Quite honestly one of the most fascinating characters in World War Two that needs to be discussed more often. With his ideas that air superiority will become the new deciding factor in modern war being shunned, he would never see the end of the war, dying in 1943, being killed in action. 

The best part is about this film is quite how frankly un opinionated it is, sure it does agree, and thankfully so, Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany are bad. Like, really bad. What I mean is, it does not let into racist ideology of the 70´s. All the racism in the film, which is not a lot, is shown in a negative light and is meant to represent 1940's racism, and not meant in good light. Making the film so much more noble than what it could have easily turned into. 

Fun Trivia Fact. The idea of Yamamoto saying something similar to ¨We have awoken the sleeping giant¨ appears to have started with this film. No official document, or witnesses ever report Yamamoto saying this.

Tora Tora Tora would go on to win the Academy award for visual effects. 

Patton is a film idolizing the character of George Patton. The World War Two general who faced Erwin Rommel in Africa, lead troops in the ending days of World War Two in Europe, and advocated for a immediate invasion of the soviet union, all before dying in a car accident, putting an Ironic end to the most testosterone up general in US military history. 

Patton as a movie is not as historically accurate as Tora Tora Tora, however it is important to consider it never claims to be extremely accurate and is mostly  meant to show the character of Patton, and in a world that is in the middle of the Cold War, with Vietnam fighting, Patton was meant to inspire. To show what the military should be like in a time where a lot of the military had no pride, fighting a war that later on would be discovered, started out of lies. 

An example of this American pride can be seen in the opening scene. Patton's opening scene is just absolutely imagery-wise fascinating. A small man decorated in outrageous military clothing with a gigantic all American flag bordered by a grey curtain  is as close as you can get to the idea of a patriotic opening as you can get. It creates a stunning image and sets the scene for the patriotic tone the movie tries to show. It almost makes me want to pull out an apple pie just looking at it.  

Patton would not win the Academy Award for visual effects but did win seven other Academy awards, including best actor for George C. Scott as the namesake character but he turned it down. Which, while controversial at the time (according to my lovely grandmother) was very much a move that the real Patton would do. Go figure. 

Now, all this is great, but why do I bring up historical accuracy, when I should really be discussing visual effects. Well, the visual effects do include military vehicles, and people using and blowing up said military vehicles. It just so happens that I consider myself a military history buff who especially specializes in military vehicles, so I can give a good perspective on how the vehicles being used can affect which film should have, or deserved to win the Academy Award. 

TO start off with something both films have, and something I have the most knowledge of, is Planes. Obviously in this category Tora Tora Tora has the advantage. Mostly because …. well you know. 

Overall Tora Tora Tora in my countings have 11 different planes, ones I picked up myself are  the North American T-6 Texan, and boeing b-17F,. The other planes I looked up afterward and they   are a Vultee B-13, Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina, Boeing Stearman Model 75, Curtis P-40R kittyhawk and Mock, Vultee B-15 Valiant, Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, Vought OS2U Kingfisher, and finally a  Douglass, A-20 Havoc.

The planes here are just magnificent. Each one chosen for being as chosen for being as close to the original as possible. Obviously getting all these planes was expensive, and also many of these planes are too expensive to rent to fly, so replacements were in order. 

For example the North American T-6 Texan is used by the Japanese. However, taking into account that it is supposed to be a Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the actual plane the Japanese used in the attack, this change makes sense. The North American T-6 is a plane that looks very similar to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. 

North American T-6 Texen (Tora Tora Tora!)

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Now what planes are in Patton. Because Patton´s focus was not on planes we only have 6 planes compared to the staggering number 11 in Tora Tora Tora. Patton does have a Casa 2.111 which is being used as a Heinkel He 111. This  was a popular plane in the German Luftwaffe for a lot of the war and because of Casa´s relevance in the plane industry in the 1970´s it was just much easier to get. 

Casa 2.111 (Patton)

Heinkel 111

Now this in mind we also have a Cessna 170B, it is not a war craft and is used mostly sparingly but I think it is smart to note that this plane is not actually in production until 1948, and to the best of my knowledge is not meant to be anything that was made in World War Two. Is this a bad thing, well not really, but when compared to the outstanding effort of Tora Tora Tora to the most obscure  details, it leaves a lot to be desired. 

After this, the theatres of the war diverge what is actually used. Tora Tora Tora has Planes and Boats, but Patton has Planes and Tanks. This in mind it is best to compare the lengths and ethort they put into both.  In the ship department of Tora Tora Tora a mixture of scale models, built sets and the real ships were used. Specifically the USS YorkTown. While a US ship, it is fair to note that being able to get a lease on a real life aircraft carrier is hard. As well as set changes making the USS YorkTown more resemble the AirCraft carriers that Japan used. Ginormous One to One scale models. Not to mention the beautiful sets and models used to depict the ships that went down in the actual Pearl Harbor Attack. 

It is extremely rare today to see films put such painstaking effort into making the designs look historically accurate as possible. And as someone who has so much respect for the people who made the actual history these films were based on, the care and detail is utterly heart warming. 

Sadly, not all films have that care, and this, in the realm of visual effects only, is one of my biggest gripes with Patton. Not that is was the film makers fault mind you, like stated before Patton put a lot of effort in already to be accurate, and models and vehicles are hard to come by. But there is a particular scene in Patton in involving these tanks. 

Patton

I didn't really pick up on it right away but the more I looked and looked these tanks just looked too modern to be German World War Two tanks. So yet again I looked online for guidance from my fellow history buffs who are much more knowledgeable than me, and I found out that these tanks are M 48.  And that the Americans also used M46 and M47 tanks. And the most hilarious part about this is that the tank´s are called Pattons. The film did not leave much room for covering this up like Tora Tora Tora would and quite honsetly I find it really weird to get an American tank then paint Nazi symbols on them. SUre for film making this is fine and used respectfully but I with my own beliefs feel unearthed by this fact. 

Then I realized something about Patton. Patton is not a film about how the war actually happened. THis film whenever it uses these visual effects with tanks, it is to make Patton look cooler, while Tora Tora Tora uses them for thrills.

Tora Tora Tora history aside is meant to inspire dread and excitement, remove the history aspect entirely and you are still left with a suspense filled action movie. The planes and Ships are seen with such awe and excitement. When what looked to be dozens of Japanese planes take off into the air, knowing what is about to happen you are filled with dread. With Patton, aside from one key scene and one downright out of nowhere moment when Patton tries to personally take down 2 the previously mentioned Heinkel 111´s with his own gun, not a lot of thrilling action happens. In fact when tanks are used in the film they tend to be used driving past with Patton looking forth like a parade. 

It is this key difference that makes Tora Tora Tora the winner of the 1970 award for visual effect winner for me. Patton vs Tora Tora Tora almost becomes unfair because they are meant to be used in completely separate ways.  Patton all the visual effects are reserved for the namesake character, the one general who the film is building to be an archetypal American. Tora Tora Tora is a film meant to honor and give respect for the Soldiers and Civilians who died in one of the most tragic events in US world history. 

Both I recommend watching, Patton is very good but can get lost in idolization, but Tora Tora Tora, is a film that has so much of a grand scale that even history today have to try really hard to match.