And speaking of John Williams, wasn't MIDWAY set in the South Pacific too? I'm a bit fussy on the plot, because it wasn't a terribly good film, and it's been a long time since I saw it. Except for the two marches, I've always found the score rather meandering and not Williams' finest hour.
True, but I don't believe the topic was where the film is SHOT, but that the storyline takes place there.
The O.P. was also looking for a film that "includes South Pacific visuals." I don't know if "South Pacific" films shot in Puerto Rico and the West Indies give you that. But, movies are all about illusion. I'm just providing information so that OnyaBirri can make an informed decision.
And speaking of John Williams, wasn't MIDWAY set in the South Pacific too?
Midway Island is actually north of Hawaii, about as central in the Pacific as you can get (see map above). As its name suggests, Midway is roughly equidistant between North America and Asia, and lies almost halfway around the world longitudinally from Greenwich, UK. Since the battle portrayed in MIDWAY was primarily a sea battle, there is little "South Pacific" scenery to be had. Shore-bound scenes were shot in Hawaii, California, and Florida.
Up Periscope with the late great James Garner is a good submarine war film. I assume it's in the right place, there is a small island with Japanese troops
The island portrayed in UP PERISCOPE is Kusaie, now called Kosrae, in the Federated States of Micronesia. The island is about 370 miles north of the Equator. The island sequence was most likely filmed in Hawaii.
From a purely visual standpoint, I think the two films with the best, authentic South Pacific vistas are Terence Malick's THE THIN RED LINE and John Boorman's HELL IN THE PACIFIC.
Very scholarly, Bob. I was going to suggest to do away with geopolitical boundaries and whatnot, and go straight to the '62 Mutiny On The Bounty for that Pacific island feeling.
I've also seen The Admiral, which I guess is a Japanese vindication of Yamamoto. It skirts briefly around Pearl Harbor and Midway, but provides a little bit more filler to the heated pre-war friction that existed between the army and navy that was hinted at in Tora, Tora, Tora. It also pointedly makes clear Japanese officers were given an abridged copy of Mein Kampf, chapter 11 having been taken out altogether, due to it's defamatory content aimed at orientals. Generally I find it somewhat sanitized, but it is clear the Japanese see Yamamoto as one of the sacrificial lambs to the slaughter altar of WWII.
I've also seen The Admiral, which I guess is a Japanese vindication of Yamamoto. It skirts briefly around Pearl Harbor and Midway, but provides a little bit more filler to the heated pre-war friction that existed between the army and navy that was hinted at in Tora, Tora, Tora.
THE ADMIRAL looks very interesting. Hopefully it will someday come to Region A/1 video. Another Japanese take on the subject, and another one that I haven't seen, is found in Toho's 1960 release I BOMBED PEARL HARBOR (aka "Storm Over the Pacific" / "Hawai Middowei daikaikûsen: Taiheiyô no arashi"). Toshiro Mifune stars in the film, but it's unclear who he portrays. The IMDB lists the character's name as "Admiral Isoroku Yamaguchi," but I can find no such officer in the historical record. There was an Admiral "Tamon Yamaguchi," whose carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. And there was Admiral "Isoroku Yamamoto," who planned the Pearl Harbor attack. So, either the name "Isoroku Yamaguchi" is a mistake, or it was a fictional commingling of the two real-life admirals. The Wikipedia entry for the film gives the name of the Mifune character as "Tamon Yamaguchi" and the American Film Institute Catalog lists the character name as "Isoroku Yamaguchi [Yamamoto]". Currently, the film is only available on a Region 2 DVD.
I do not go for war/military films and I know nothing about any of them.
However, I am open to watching a film or two about WWII set in the South Pacific.
Leaning toward something in color that includes South Pacific visuals, but I am open to others.
What do you recommend?
Onya, at the risk of being obtuse (well, you started it with your Honneger train set question), why do you want to watch films from a genre you don't like just to see the scenery? Wouldn't a comedy or a musical (or a documentary) be more bearable? Or a crime film with nervous angular longhair music? Or a TV episode of something.
World War II movies set in the South Pacific that I've personally seen:
PT 109 FATHER GOOSE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA FLYING LEATHERNECKS THE GALLANT HOURS HEAVEN KNOWS, MR. ALLISON THE THIN RED LINE (both versions) BATTLE CRY
Onya, at the risk of being obtuse (well, you started it with your Honneger train set question), why do you want to watch films from a genre you don't like just to see the scenery? Wouldn't a comedy or a musical (or a documentary) be more bearable? Or a crime film with nervous angular longhair music? Or a TV episode of something.
Well, I am generally interested in WWII, and I don't really know if I categorically don't like the war/military film genre because I have largely avoided it. So I am willing to give some of them a try.
Yer right, Iwo is a little too far north. How about Guadalcanal Diary?
You've got one on me, Thor, cos I've never seen The Pacific. Kept on mulling over getting the set but there's tons of real life reference material, so refrained.
I was suggesting a film title, not commenting on geography! However, it seemed to spark a whole debate on the other aspect, which is hilarious.
Onya, at the risk of being obtuse (well, you started it with your Honneger train set question), why do you want to watch films from a genre you don't like just to see the scenery? Wouldn't a comedy or a musical (or a documentary) be more bearable? Or a crime film with nervous angular longhair music? Or a TV episode of something.
Well, I am generally interested in WWII, and I don't really know if I categorically don't like the war/military film genre because I have largely avoided it. So I am willing to give some of them a try.
I had the same question and still find it interesting enough to attempt a bit of hijacking here. (Sorry!)
You are interested in WWII. Fine. You are obviously interested in movies and movie music or you wouldn't be here. BUT you are have not been interested in WWII movies. Hmm. I'm slightly puzzled at this point. Maybe you just consider that most such movies have been bad. Fair enough. But now you want to open the door just a crack to admit only movies in color that are set in only the South Pacific? WHY? I'm not critical -- just puzzled.
OK, I see that you have widened the doorway a bit since your first request. Still . . .
Well, I am generally interested in WWII, and I don't really know if I categorically don't like the war/military film genre because I have largely avoided it. So I am willing to give some of them a try.
Okay I can see why you might get worried about pure escapism movies like 'Where Eagles Dare', or propaganda films etc..
But there are plenty of great anti-war war films that deal in complex issues, 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Come and See', Tony Richardson's 'Charge of the Light Brigade', 'The Train' etc..
You are interested in WWII. Fine. You are obviously interested in movies and movie music or you wouldn't be here. BUT you are have not been interested in WWII movies. Hmm. I'm slightly puzzled at this point. Maybe you just consider that most such movies have been bad. Fair enough. But now you want to open the door just a crack to admit only movies in color that are set in only the South Pacific? WHY? I'm not critical -- just puzzled.
Seriously, what's confusing?
I am admitting my ignorance of the military film genre, and am open to exploring it.
I think the most effective gateway films for me will be those that will also serve other interests of mine, Polynesia/Oceania among them.
Isn't that typically how viewers and listeners expand their horizons? You get into Dexter Gordon because you like Bud Powell, so you first buy the Dexter Gordon album with Bud Powell, and eventually you buy all of Dexter Gordon's Blue Note albums?
I first learned about Miklos Rozsa when I was looking for theremin albums.
I think what the guys are saying onya is that people who "have an interest in ww2" have usually seen plenty of ww2 war movies over the years.
As william says - dissing my favourite ww2 film WED - there are plenty films out there to catch up on from the brit b&w 50s films to the more hollywood colour action of the 60s to the later, more thoughtful 70s/80s war films - pacific arena or otherwiise.
