The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya

The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kajiro Yamamoto
Special effects by	Eiji Tsuburaya
Written by	Kajiro Yamamoto
Produced by	Nobuyoshi Morita
Starring	Kaoru Ito Susumu Fujita Akitake Kohno Setsuko Hara
Cinematography	Akira Mimura Mitsuo Miura
Edited by	Fusao Hata
Music by	Seiichi Suzuki
Production company	Toho
Distributed by	Film Distribution Corporation
Release date	December 3, 1942(1942-12-03)(Japan)
Running time	117 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	¥1 million

The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya(Japanese:ハワイ・マレー trùng hải chiến,Hepburn:Hawai Mare Oki Kaisen)is a 1942 Japaneseepicwar filmdirected byKajiro Yamamoto,with special effects byEiji Tsuburaya.Produced byTohoand distributed byFilm Distribution Corporation,the film ispropagandaproduced with support from theNavy Ministrythat was intended to influence the Japanese public into believing they could prevail in thePacific War.

The military reportedly converted the idea of adocumentary filmon theattack on Pearl Harborthat featured special effects since it was difficult to record footage of the attack. Prior to the attack and Japan's subsequent entry into World War II, anImperial Japanese Navyofficial met Tsuburaya and requested the production of a film about the attack as soon as possible when the war broke out. Production took place from May to November 1942, on a record breaking budget of¥770,000.

The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malayawas released on December 3, 1942, to critical acclaim. The film wonKinema Junpo'sBest Picture Awardand Tsuburaya received an award for his special effects. Reportedly viewed by 100 million people in Japan and its occupied territories, it became thehighest-grossing film in the history of Japanese cinemaupon its distribution.

Plot

Full film with English subtitles.

In 1936,Imperial Japanese Navypilot Tadaaki Tachibana visits his aunt's farm, where younger cousin Yoshikazu Tomoda expresses his wish to become a pilot. Tadaaki encourages Yoshikazu only after challenging him to acliff jump.

Yoshikazu undergoes basic training from 1937, participating in rowing,kendō,wrestling, and rugby. His drill instructor introduces the notion of facing adversity with the proper "spirit". One morning, theMarco Polo Bridge Incidentis reported in the cadets' newspaper. The cadets intensify their training as the events of theSecond Sino-Japanese Warand theSecond World Warin Europe unfold. Their drill instructor declares that the situation in China may only be resolved through the defeat of the United States and the British Empire.

After a brief visit to his family, Yoshikazu progresses to training as a fighter pilot. He experiencessurvivor guiltwhen another cadet dies during a training exercise aboard an aircraft carrier. Tadaaki advises him not to give up his training, citing his own experiences in the military. Yoshikazu's sister Kikuko is concerned about the explosion of a world war, but informs him that their mother has accepted his decision to fight.

In late 1941, Yoshikazu is among those aboard an aircraft carrier destined forPearl Harbor,although their mission is not immediately clear. As the pilots prepare for the attack, the officers listen for results over an American radio station. The mission is portrayed as a success: the torpedoes hit their intended target ships, and reinforcements engage in a dogfight withUSAAFfighter planes. However, in a "precious sacrifice", one damaged Japanese plane crashes into an American hangar.

Meanwhile in Japanese-occupiedFrench Indochina,a separate unit receives a briefing concerning the movements ofHMS RepulseandHMS Prince of Wales.An initial attempt to bomb the ships during their nighttime departure fromSingaporeis aborted. Despite the ships leaving the range of the bombers, their crews are instructed to re-attempt the mission. The crew of one bomber, acknowledging that they lack the fuel to return home, proceeds with the attack on the British fleet. This mission too is successful, although the Prince of Wales incidentally sinks after the bomber runs out of ammunition.

Yoshikazu's family listens to a report of the attack on the radio, as do the officers aboard the aircraft carrier. One officer expresses his pleasure at Japan's strategic position.

Cast

• Susumu Fujita
• Setsuko Hara
• Fumito Matsuo
• Kunio Mita
• Denjirō Ōkōchi
• Jiro Takano
• Daihachiro Takebayashi
• Haruo Tanaka
• Frank Tokunagaas Bunroku Tokunaga
• Hiroshi Yamagawa

Production

Preproduction

Before Japan officially entered the war on the same day as the Pearl Harbor attack, Michibu Navy Major Shōichi Hamada reportedly met Tsuburaya and requested the production of a film about the attack as soon as possible when the war broke out.

Filming

Film making; miniature set of the Pearl Harbor and American warships

Hawai Mare oki kaisenwas the most costly film made in Japan up to that time, costing over$380,000,when a typical film cost no more than $40,000.It used special effects and miniature models to create realistic battle scenes. These were intercut with genuine newsreel material to make the appearance of adocumentary.The film was released during the week of the first anniversary of the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor.

Thespecial effectsare byEiji Tsuburaya.

Reception

Box office

Within its first eight days at the Japanese box office, the film had grossed¥1,115,000.According toToho,it was viewed by 100 million people in Japan and the country's occupied territories.

Critical response

Joseph L. Anderson comments thatHawai Mare oki kaisenwas "representative of the national-policy films", with the aim of dramatizing "the Navy Spirit as culminated at Pearl Harbor." Critics at the time considered it the best film of 1942.

Douglas MacArthur's response

The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malayawas confiscated bySupreme Command Allied Powersafter the war, who mistook it for genuine news footage of the attack, and it was released byMovietoneas such.

Accolades

Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref(s)
Kinema JunpoAwards	Best Picture Award	The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya	Won
Japan Motion Picture Cinematographers Association	Visual Effects	Eiji Tsuburaya	Won

See also

• Storm Over the Pacific,Toho, 1960

External links

• Hawai Mare oki kaisenatIMDb
• Scene from the filmonYouTube