Sophia Michaels
December 7th, 1941 was called the day that would live in infamy by then-President Franklin Roosevelt. There’s little argument over 80 years later that he was right. The event sent the United States into World War II, and in doing so quite possibly changed the destiny of the United States of America. The attack on the U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military is a defining moment in American history, so it’s of little shock that so many movies have been made about the event and the period that followed.
The first movies that told a story involving Pearl Harbor, even if they weren’t exactly historically accurate, came out only a couple of years after the event, mostly as war propaganda movies. In the years that followed, several films including high-budget blockbusters, have been made surrounding the event. So for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, here are some of the films that have been made about the event and where to find them if you want to watch them in remembrance of the day.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
The biggest, in terms of scope and budget, movie ever made about Pearl Harbor has to be Michael Bay’s simply titled Pearl Harbor. The 2001 romantic drama attempts to ape the successful formula of James Cameron’s Titanic by setting a love story around the events of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett star as best friends, and Army Air Corps pilots, who find they have fallen in love with the same woman, played by Kate Beckinsale.
The actual attack on Pearl Harbor takes place midway through the film, using all the flash and pageantry that one would expect from an explosive Michael Bay movie, though with a budget that likely far exceeded what the director had access to previously. It’s certainly not the best Michael Bay movie, but it’s still worth viewing.
Stream Pearl Harbor on Max.
Buy/Rent Pearl Harbor on Amazon.
Buy Pearl Harbor on Blu-ray via Amazon.
Midway (2019)
Not to be confused with the 1976 movie called Midway, or The Battle of Midway, which opens after the attack on Pearl Harbor has already happened, the 2019 action/drama Midway by Roland Emmerich opens with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. As with Michael Bay and Pearl Harbor, showing the frenetic action and chaos of the attack itself is where Roland Emmerich’s ability shines.
The explosive attack feels like it should be the finale of the movie, but instead, it’s simply where things begin. From there, the movie follows an ensemble cast on both sides of the Pacific conflict as they march toward the decisive Battle of Midway.
Buy/Rent Midway on Amazon.
Buy Midway on Blu-ray via Amazon.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
1970’s Tora! Tora! Tora! is a unique look at the attack on Pearl Harbor, as it was a joint effort between American and Japanese filmmakers. It follows the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor from both sides of the Pacific Ocean, but the two sides were handled independently, with American director Richard Fleischer handling the filming of the U.S sequences, while the Japanese scenes were handled by Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku.
Buy/Rent Tora! Tora! Tora! on Amazon.
Buy Tora! Tora! Tora on Blu-ray via Amazon.
From Here To Eternity (1953)
From Here To Eternity may be the most well-known movie by the general public to contain the attack on Pearl Harbor as part of its plot. The romantic drama was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, of which it won eight, including Best Director and Best Picture. The film focuses on three soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra, who are stationed in Hawaii in the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The attack on Pearl Harbor takes place near the end of the film, and while it is certainly key to the story, it’s never what the movie is actually about. The movie is better known for having one of the best movie kissing scenes of all time.
Stream From Here To Eternity on Max.
Buy/Rent From Here To Eternity on Amazon.
Buy From Here to Eternity on Blu-ray via Amazon.
In Harm’s Way (1965)
Considering the sheer volume of World War II movies starring John Wayne, it’s almost shocking that there is only one that actually includes the sack on Pearl Harbor. 1965’s In Harm’s Way will never make it onto a list of best John Wayne movies, but it’s not without its moments. The war drama stars Wayne as a Navy Captain who loses his command following the attack after making a bad decision. Later in the war, he’s given a second chance. It co-stars Kirk Douglas as Wayne’s executive officer.
Stream In Harm’s Way on Pluto TV.
Buy/Rent In Harm’s Way on Amazon.
Buy In Harm’s Way on Blu-ray via Amazon.
The Final Countdown (1980)
This is certainly an unusual movie to include in a list of movies about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but one that qualifies nonetheless. 1980s The Final Countdown is a science fiction drama that sees an aircraft carrier transported back in time to the day before the Pearl Harbor attack. Once the crew realizes what has happened, they must decide whether to attempt to prevent the attack on Pearl Harbor, even though that may change the future in any number of unforeseen ways.
Stream The Final Countdown on Peacock.
Stream The Final Countdown on Tubi.
Buy/Rent The Final Countdown on Amazon.
Buy The Final Countdown on Blu-ray via Amazon.
Storm Over The Pacific/I Bombed Pearl Harbor (1960)
Not every movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor came from the side that was attacked. Storm over the Pacific is a 1960 film made in Japan that follows a young Japanese bombardier who was involved in both the Pearl Harbor attack, as well as the Battle of Midway. It is, if nothing else, a worthy film of note as the rare movie entirely focused on the opposite side of the conflict. The movie did see a dubbed American release under the title I Bombed Pearl Harbor.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, Storm Over the Pacific is not available to stream.
From alternate histories to attempts to tell the truest possible story, there have been many attempts to completely understand the attack on Pearl Harbor. We certainly haven’t seen the last movie to prominently feature Pearl Harbor. It’s too big a moment in American history to be left behind completely, regardless of how much time has passed.
