07-07-04 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

Seen: July 1st, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 8

It'd be easy to dismiss this film as just another propaganda film, designed to keep Americans supporting America during WWII. While it does serve that purpose, it does so by doing several others things as well.

First and foremost it demonstrates what war is really like from the perspective of the fliers in the film. The title alludes to the fact that the actual mission takes very little time when compared to everything else which goes into it.

There are weeks of planning, then more weeks of training and waiting. This film draws this out. This wait induces an anxiety in the audience, as they wait for the action, that mirror that of the fliers waiting on the mission.

Next there is a sea voyage. Again, waiting and anticipation. There is also a concerted effort here to show the friction between the services. Army and Navy traditionally don't mix. Watch what develops over the course of the journey. It's a powerful message, not only for the folks back home, but for the troops themselves.

A similar message is delivered after the mission. Our heroes find themselves stranded and must rely very heavily on the locals to help them find their way back to safety and eventual return home. Again, look for the attitude toward the locals and watch how it changes over the course of the airmen's journey. Again, a powerful message for both servicemen and the folks back home.

I have no idea how accurately the film portrays historical events. Since it was made only a few years after the Doolittle raid, my hunch is that it's fairly accurate. Much of the footage is actual military footage, which goes a long way toward making it feel authentic.

The romantic angle of the film doesn't do much for me. Ellen Lawson as a character here is very stereotypical. Her constant wide smile is a bit grating and she's portrayed far to simplistically. Again, her general demeanor and her reaction at the return of her husband a important messages to Americans at home facing similar circumstances.

So, in the final analysis, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a propaganda film. Unlike other of the period though, it relies on subtler emotions and motivations to drive home its points. The acts of heroism here are less obvious and more realistic. While being wounded delivering bombs to Tokyo may not be as romantic and charging a machine gun nest, taking it out single-handedly and dying a heroic death in the process, it strives to show that there were many types of heroes in the war effort. Each had their role, all contributed and its the team effort that mattered in the end.

See this one if you're a fan of WWII films, or just films of this period.

The Good: Volunteering for dangerous duty

The Bad: Losing a part of yourself

The Ugly: Finding your way back home