This is a great movie. It refutes the shallow, stereotypical portrayal of Japanese in World War Two American movies. When considering atrocities such as The Bataan Death March, it is easy to say, "Good for them, they deserved what they got." Yet, the movie is about Japanese valor. The question is: is it contrived or was it real? Here, the roles are reversed. The Japanese are heroes and the Americans the faceless enemy. The Yamato went down fighting; en entire fleet pf plans were required to sink her, and when she sunk, she went out with a huge bang - that is a fact. The movie dramatizes the dedication and bravery of the Japanese sailor and the steadfast valor of the civilians. The movie is not a polemic. It neither excuses or apologizes Japanese policies. Of course, one can say that this movie does not square with the Japanese record of brutality during the war. But that does not mean that the themes of this movie are contrived. The Japanese government ordered the Yamato on a kamikaze mission. Whether this was heroic is a matter of debate. But what is certain is that the ship took a beating and 3,000 crew died, and that is a story that should not be forgotten. They fought and they died. As the movie shows, the Japanese were caught up in a war that produced a catastrophic defeat for them. It is just too bad that they had adopted a foreign policy that in retrospect was misguided and provocative, but it happened and hopefully it will not happen again.
A few other comments: This movie alludes to but does not fully expand on how the Yamato was a symbol, not only for the Japanese, but for the United States. While the Yamato symbolized Japanese pride, for the United States it was symbol of aggression, and something that not only had to be destroyed but absolutely purged from the face of the planet. Hence, the United States devoted an entire fleet of planes to ensuring that the Yamato met an ignoble ending. The movie shows that how the Yamato was not only bombed, but was repeatedly strafed and torpedoed. According to historical accounts, the Yamato took at least twenty direct hits. What the movie also brings out was that the Yamato was on a kamikaze mission, so it was provided no air cover, which made it a virtual open target. The Yamato crew are portrayed as being valiant, but valiant for what and for whom? One scene shows where a fight breaks out between two factions, one who questioned the use of fighting and the other that was determined to fight on. However, this theme is not further explored. The whole question of treating 3,000 men as being expendable is a theme that could have been further explored too. The sinking of the Yamato should have provided enough cause for any rational government to conclude that further fighting was useless, but that did not happen. The war destined to drag on for another four months, during which time there took place the Battle of Okinawa and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all of which had catastrophic consequences for the Japanese. The movie also shows how discipline was enforced through corporal punishment, which puts the Japanese abuse of POWs in a broader cultural context. For the Japanese, at least in the military, beating up on people considered inferior was considered appropriate conduct and a legitimate form of discipline. Given the fanaticism of the Japanese military, it is not surprising that it took not one but two atomic bombs to finally convince them to stop fighting, and that was only after the emperor personally interceded. As the movie shows, World War Two was a disaster for Japan, and a tragedy for the Japanese people who had to pay the price for policy decisions that opened their country up to destruction and leaving a legacy that to this day continues to besmirch that country's reputation.
A few other comments: This movie alludes to but does not fully expand on how the Yamato was a symbol, not only for the Japanese, but for the United States. While the Yamato symbolized Japanese pride, for the United States it was symbol of aggression, and something that not only had to be destroyed but absolutely purged from the face of the planet. Hence, the United States devoted an entire fleet of planes to ensuring that the Yamato met an ignoble ending. The movie shows that how the Yamato was not only bombed, but was repeatedly strafed and torpedoed. According to historical accounts, the Yamato took at least twenty direct hits. What the movie also brings out was that the Yamato was on a kamikaze mission, so it was provided no air cover, which made it a virtual open target. The Yamato crew are portrayed as being valiant, but valiant for what and for whom? One scene shows where a fight breaks out between two factions, one who questioned the use of fighting and the other that was determined to fight on. However, this theme is not further explored. The whole question of treating 3,000 men as being expendable is a theme that could have been further explored too. The sinking of the Yamato should have provided enough cause for any rational government to conclude that further fighting was useless, but that did not happen. The war destined to drag on for another four months, during which time there took place the Battle of Okinawa and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all of which had catastrophic consequences for the Japanese. The movie also shows how discipline was enforced through corporal punishment, which puts the Japanese abuse of POWs in a broader cultural context. For the Japanese, at least in the military, beating up on people considered inferior was considered appropriate conduct and a legitimate form of discipline. Given the fanaticism of the Japanese military, it is not surprising that it took not one but two atomic bombs to finally convince them to stop fighting, and that was only after the emperor personally interceded. As the movie shows, World War Two was a disaster for Japan, and a tragedy for the Japanese people who had to pay the price for policy decisions that opened their country up to destruction and leaving a legacy that to this day continues to besmirch that country's reputation.