Yamato's last battle: Stunning Japanese movie clip

[paulcadogan]

Hey guys!

Don't know how many of you have seen this, but here's a really stunning clip from a Japanese movie on Yamato's last sortie, depicting the final air attack that destroyed her. It focusses heavily on the terrible attrition among her exposed personnel as they heroically battled the American air assault. Reminds me of the depiction of the American battleship crews in Pearl Harbor - a terrible sight no matter which side you're on...

The clip has Spanish sub-titles.

Take a look:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSU2Top8 ... re=related[/youtube]

Paul

[VeenenbergR]

Paulcadogan.

Stunning movie: yes. But the heavy and light AA-guns don't recoil when they fire!!! That gives an odd impression of the firing of the guns. Romantic movie: yes and....even Japanese sailors were quite human!!! The were trained liked Spartans but to no avail. They sailed to their death, like those of the Bismarck and Tirpitz. 3 tragic battleships.

The many crews of the 25mm triple guns (one rotating the gun, one another elevating it) makes these guns unwieldy in combat. The supply of cartridges was the bottle neck once the guns came under strafing fire. They simply could not cope with this murderous fire and lost too many crew men.

Also the firing of the huge Shan Siki (beehive) shells were a failure. When firing the main guns the blast was so tremendous that no AA-gun crews could be present near the blast.

The sinking is well done, like all shots in this masterly filmed movie so different from the heroic US movies (except "Letters from Iwo Jima").

The Japanese soldier was doomed by the own system AND the enemy. There was no escape for those obedient sailors and soldiers on all those Islands. Few soldiers survived to tell of the horror of war.
That was different in the Western Allied armies and fleets. Losses remained within acceptable limits.

Most beautiful scene is when the captain, fleet-commander and senior commanders on board of the Yamato realized they were to be sacrified, while the supreme commander of the fleet took shelter in his HQ in Japan...........the were ordered to sail and sacrifice themselves for the defence of the "motherland" (were did I heard this too???)

Nowadays in Japan their is no guilty feeling about what they did in WWII. The Japanese tend to honour the many fallen and despise the US, which they now regard as "simple" men. They feel superior again. No lessons learnt, except that wars can be lost and economic war is more safe.

[Bgile]

Nowadays in Japan their is no guilty feeling about what they did in WWII. The Japanese tend to honour the many fallen and despise the US, which they now regard as "simple" men. They feel superior again. No lessons learnt, except that wars can be lost and economic war is more safe.

Your statement that Japanese despise Americans is very inflammatory and paints all Japanese people with a very broad and unflattering brush. Please explain where you obtained this information, which you are stating as fact. My personal interaction with Japanese miliary didn't indicate at all that they despised me. They tended to be personable and friendly.

[RF]

Nowadays in Japan their is no guilty feeling about what they did in WWII. The Japanese tend to honour the many fallen and despise the US, which they now regard as "simple" men. They feel superior again. No lessons learnt, except that wars can be lost and economic war is more safe.

What concrete evidence is there for the last two sentences?

[surfsup]

It is a brilliant movie. I am fortunate enough to have a copy of this movie on DVD. If you can get hold of a copy, it is certainly very worthwhile.

[Karl Heidenreich]

When in Costa Rica last weekend I received my DVD of the Yamato movie. Awesome!

FIrst it is spoken in Japanese which is such a beautiful and at the same time hard language. But the issue was that all the movie was incredible. Maybe as good as Letters from Iwo Jima.
The battleship its the main character, incredible in it´s magnificense. The movie did not go through the moralistic troubles US war movies get into: goes to the bone: show the excess of Japan´s militaristic behaivor but at the same time praises the warriors that fight and die for it´s land. There is a particular scene in which two groups of cadets fight because of Yamato´s last mission. The fight is stopped by a senior officer who remind the cadets that it´s from defeat rather than victory that countries learn lessons. There is no future for Japan if they don´t perform the mission and die in it. At the end both factions agreed.
The battle is bitter and so is the aftermath: mothers that lost their sons trying to make a living out of the land.
But the movie goes beyond showing the incendiary raids over Tokio and, finally, the A-Bombs.
It´s a peace movie? Yes. But it´s NOT a "I regret everything and I ask forgivenes" movie. It´s not a sad and depressing movie as Das Boot, but much more as the Enemy Below goes. It´s the kind of movie Bismarck deserves. A movie that eludes the hateful James Cameron´s political propaganda forcing old men regret that they fought for the "wrong side". Wrong side? Maybe we can ask the people of Latvia or Poland which was the wrong side, after all...
But this movie about Yamato is beautiful and full of battle action. It´s historical to the bone without compromising it in order to get a "Hollywood concesion".
I recomend it. It wasn´t that expensive and you can buy it with English subtitles at amazon.

Best regards,

[dfrighini]

An important point has been made here, for to long Hollywood has made movies about 10 foot tall Americans who shit bullets fighting against firstly the nasty Red Indians, then the dastardly Germans, followed by the evil Soviets. I'm glad Japan has made a film about her own involvement in World war 2, and further more I'm respectful that its spoken in Japanese, no American actors pretending to be Japanese. Could you imagine Das Boot without the German (I know it has an English audio track), would that be realistic? It does not surprise me that many 'critics' (American supporting) don't like this film, probably because it paints the Japanese as human (heaven forbid)!

Five Star Film, despite a couple inaccuracies pointed out buy others. )))

[RF]

I agree with what Oberwarrior says. Much the same criticism can be directed at the Sink the Bismarck! film because of the inaccurate portrayal of the German side, where no German is spoken, and also to the film ''Battle of The River Plate'' where the starring of Peter Finch as Captain Langsdorf is an inspired miscasting. Incidently in typing in the last sentence I recall Bernard Lee played Captain Dove, an actor who played the part of Q in the Bond movies. The way that film was made, I can almost imagine 007 turning up at the British embassy in Montevideo.....

[Bgile]

An important point has been made here, for to long Hollywood has made movies about 10 foot tall Americans who shit bullets fighting against firstly the nasty Red Indians, then the dastardly Germans, followed by the evil Soviets. I'm glad Japan has made a film about her own involvement in World war 2, and further more I'm respectful that its spoken in Japanese, no American actors pretending to be Japanese. Could you imagine Das Boot without the German (I know it has an English audio track), would that be realistic? It does not surprise me that many 'critics' (American supporting) don't like this film, probably because it paints the Japanese as human (heaven forbid)!

Five Star Film, despite a couple inaccuracies pointed out buy others. )))

I bought the film, and I was disappointed. Considering the effort involved in building the mock up, I was expecting a movie focusing on Yamato, life on board, and her history including the battle off Samar. Instead, I got a movie about the Japanese political situation in WWII and a girl wanting to honor her dead father. The scenes actually involving Yamato are pretty short.

[Bgile]

An important point has been made here, for to long Hollywood has made movies about 10 foot tall Americans who shit bullets fighting against firstly the nasty Red Indians, then the dastardly Germans, followed by the evil Soviets. I'm glad Japan has made a film about her own involvement in World war 2, and further more I'm respectful that its spoken in Japanese, no American actors pretending to be Japanese. Could you imagine Das Boot without the German (I know it has an English audio track), would that be realistic? It does not surprise me that many 'critics' (American supporting) don't like this film, probably because it paints the Japanese as human (heaven forbid)!

Five Star Film, despite a couple inaccuracies pointed out buy others. )))

Yes, and it's become fashionable to criticize Hollywood for movies made many years ago during a time of great patriotism in the USA and Ignore the real accomplishments of that industry. You make it sound as though that's all they ever did. Try seeing some of the Russian movies of the same period. I can think of many more recent movies that aren't like that at all. Little Big Man, Geronimo, Cross of Iron, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, and many more I can't recall right off. Then we have pure entertainment like Conan, Terminator, Star Wars, and Star Trek. Then we have Ben Hur, Spartacus, Anthony and Cleopatra, Troy, etc.

I suppose you'd rather there was no Hollywood movie industry?

[Karl Heidenreich]

A great american movie: The Birth of a Nation!

[dfrighini]

An important point has been made here, for to long Hollywood has made movies about 10 foot tall Americans who shit bullets fighting against firstly the nasty Red Indians, then the dastardly Germans, followed by the evil Soviets. I'm glad Japan has made a film about her own involvement in World war 2, and further more I'm respectful that its spoken in Japanese, no American actors pretending to be Japanese. Could you imagine Das Boot without the German (I know it has an English audio track), would that be realistic? It does not surprise me that many 'critics' (American supporting) don't like this film, probably because it paints the Japanese as human (heaven forbid)!

Five Star Film, despite a couple inaccuracies pointed out buy others. )))

Yes, and it's become fashionable to criticize Hollywood for movies made many years ago during a time of great patriotism in the USA and Ignore the real accomplishments of that industry. You make it sound as though that's all they ever did. Try seeing some of the Russian movies of the same period. I can think of many more recent movies that aren't like that at all. Little Big Man, Geronimo, Cross of Iron, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, and many more I can't recall right off. Then we have pure entertainment like Conan, Terminator, Star Wars, and Star Trek. Then we have Ben Hur, Spartacus, Anthony and Cleopatra, Troy, etc.

I suppose you'd rather there was no Hollywood movie industry?

First as someone who lives in Russia I have seen a number of films made in the Soviet times, however I'm not sure all of them are that dad. For example 'idi i smotri' (1985), this is a powerful and gritty film about the eastern front. However on the other hand I'm not sure if I would classify 'Saving Private Ryan' as an outstanding exercise in objective history? Whilst I'll accept its 24 minute battle scene at the beginning is highly realistic, and detailed, the rest of the story is a fiction. Firstly and most importantly I should mention how I did not notice any British, Canadian or Free French soldiers running around at any point during the film. You'll probably say in reply that the battle scene at the beginning is only showing one of the American beaches. However the point is if I was a normal member of the public, not interested in history and reading, and knew nothing about D-day I would think after watching this film that it was an all American affair, when in reality the truth is quite different. The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich depicted in the film was not in the Normandy area until July (not June) and they were one of the German's crack divisions, fighting at Kursk. When it was deployed it was deployed around Caen against British and Canadian forces in Operation Goodwood where it inflicted heavy loses. Yet in 'Saving Private Ryan' we are treated to over an hour and a half of Tom Hankes and his small unit fighting hundreds of Germans, tanks and flack cannons? I don't think in real life (from this era) any soldiers, from any army could fight effectively against such odds, these scenes are highly unrealistic. When asked Steven Speilberg said he changed replace sound military tactics and strict historical accuracy for dramatic effect.

I was rather general in what I wrote before, Hollywood had an ear during the 1970 when it made some very good and intelligent films, as you mentioned 'Cross of Iron', although it should be noted the film has an improvised ending because they ran out of money whilst filming . 'Full Metal Jacket' however is different because although you can call it an American film its not made by the Hollywood machine, Kubrick was a private film director, he also lived and worked (Full Mental Jacket was filmed at Pinewood Studios, England) in England.

One film you don't mention which was made recently was the infamous U571, a laughable film if there ever was one. I don't think I need to list the historical errors made in this film, as you'll probably find me offensive. Frankly I am glad that Das Boot was made by the Germans and Yamato was made by the Japanese, these film would not be the great films they are if Hollywood had attempted their production.

So maybe I was a little harsh towards American films, I should not generalise so often, but I also believe there is a reasonable argument about the Americanisation of films and history, as someone who is not American, and therefore not the target audience I can find this a little annoying.

And whilst we are on the subject of Soviet films, some post Soviet Russian films are very good, for example I recently watched in the cinema Admiral about Admiral Alexander Kolchak. Its good that other countries are trying to tackle their own history.

[lwd]

...First as someone who lives in Russia I have seen a number of films made in the Soviet times, however I'm not sure all of them are that dad. ....

Have to be careful how we define "bad". For instance I've seen Alexander Nevsky several times and while it's not particularly accurate historically it is a good film and can grant one some signficant insights especially if you are aware of the historical back ground both of the period portraied and when it was being filmed.

[Bgile]

...First as someone who lives in Russia I have seen a number of films made in the Soviet times, however I'm not sure all of them are that dad. ....

Have to be careful how we define "bad". For instance I've seen Alexander Nevsky several times and while it's not particularly accurate historically it is a good film and can grant one some signficant insights especially if you are aware of the historical back ground both of the period portraied and when it was being filmed.

And of course Oberwarrior would criticize it (at least he should considering how he criticized Saving Private Ryan) for it's inaccuracies.

I don't think Saving Private Ryan was advertised as a documentary. I was actually impressed by the equipment they used. They didn't have to make the effort they did to come up with period stuff, and many movies don't. It told an interesting story (fiction) in a war setting while avoiding the glorification of war. I also didn't pay any attention to the German unit name, because that wasn't central to the story. I didn't even notice.

I suppose you could also criticise many works of fiction for not being entirely "accurate", but that doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable and worthwhile. If you were making a movie for American consumption (primarily) wouldn't you tend to emphasize American involvement? Why is that so unreasonable?

Have you ever seen the series "Band of Brothers"?

[dfrighini]

...First as someone who lives in Russia I have seen a number of films made in the Soviet times, however I'm not sure all of them are that dad. ....

Have to be careful how we define "bad". For instance I've seen Alexander Nevsky several times and while it's not particularly accurate historically it is a good film and can grant one some signficant insights especially if you are aware of the historical back ground both of the period portraied and when it was being filmed.

And of course Oberwarrior would criticize it (at least he should considering how he criticized Saving Private Ryan) for it's inaccuracies.

I don't think Saving Private Ryan was advertised as a documentary. I was actually impressed by the equipment they used. They didn't have to make the effort they did to come up with period stuff, and many movies don't. It told an interesting story (fiction) in a war setting while avoiding the glorification of war. I also didn't pay any attention to the German unit name, because that wasn't central to the story. I didn't even notice.

I suppose you could also criticise many works of fiction for not being entirely "accurate", but that doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable and worthwhile. If you were making a movie for American consumption (primarily) wouldn't you tend to emphasize American involvement? Why is that so unreasonable?

Have you ever seen the series "Band of Brothers"?

I have seen Band of Brother and on the whole I found it a lot better than Saving Private Ryan, I saw a bit of Band of Brothers being film, it was produced on University of Hertfordshire (England) land whilst I was studying Digital & Lens Media (film & photography). Generally Band of Brother is more accepting that the war effort in the west against Germany was an allied effort. Band of Brother misses the point here, and as a British citizen I find this a little annoying, the same as many Russians believe (and rightfully so) that Russia was jointly responsible for winning World War 2. I'll readily acknowledge the Americans had a harder time on the Normandy beaches that the British and Canadians, but Private Ryan does not show any other Allied forces, Longest Day is a much better film in this respect.

I understand Saving Private Ryan is a fiction, but that's because I have been bothered to go an research the subject (because I'm interested in history), however because of its ultra realistic style of filming (which is very good, granted) it could give the impression of being a documentary to anyone who is not aware its a fictional story, this is the danger area. Furthermore because of American films international success it would be nice if America could target a wider audience. I know it is impossible to target a truly global audience, someone will always disagree.

All countries have there bad films, with major inaccuracies, but American films get noticed because they are marketed globally, this is a good example of where the Hollywood PR machine comes unhinged! The whole world does not want to indulge in or share American glory and or patriotism, just like America sometimes finds it difficult to accept other countries patriotism.

No one gives a monkey's what films other countries make because they are often only seen nationally.