Legends of Airpower Producer Comments on Popularity of Pearl Harbor Movie

The article is from THE STATE newspaper in Columbia, South carolina.

The never-ending nostalgia over WWII
Still seen as both necessary and noble, it's an event that defined the 20th century - and a generation

By Doug Nye, Television Editor

Rarely has the line between good and evil been so clearly defined as it was during World War II. With its way of life seriously threatened, America responded with a fierce determination and dedication unlike any other time in its history.

It was a stirring era of unbridled patriotism, incredible courage and willing sacrifice. And it is an era that has long fascinated ensuing generations and Hollywood moviemakers. Evidence of that resurfaces again Friday when the blockbuster "Pearl Harbor" premieres in movie theaters across the country.

Although the film's story line involves a love triangle, its main attraction is the re-creation of the event that propelled the United States into the war - the Japanese sneak attack on U.S. military installations at Hawaii on Sunday, December 7, 1941.

A 'moral war'

Most filmmakers and historians say the continuing allure of World War II is understandable. "It's a case where everybody can agree that it was a moral war," documentary producer Russell Hodge said. "There's simply no argument there."

Hodge, whose series "Legends of Air Power" airs on PBS stations around the country, including S.C. ETV, marvels at the selflessness of most Americans during that crisis. "I'm almost 40 and ... my generation has not lived through anything like that. I think we are captivated by the fact that people were willing to sacrifice to preserve this country. It was ordinary people doing extraordinary things."

Patrick Maney, a professor of history at the University of South Carolina and author of a book on FDR, says the fact that "it was kind of a less-complicated war" has a lot of appeal. "And certainly there was more support for it home," Maney said. "Over the years, we have developed something of a romantic notion about it. That obscures an awful lot of terrible things. such as the Japanese internment, the racial problems that still existed here. We tend to filter out those things."

Still, Maney, who was born in 1946, admits that the good outweighed the bad and it is difficult to resist the allure of a war that actually united the country. "I really enjoy a lot of World War II movies," Maney said. "Even though as a professional historian I know there are inaccuracies in these films, there is this sort of nostalgic attraction of World War II with its good ending as compared to Vietnam."

Maney said that such projects as director Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," with its vivid depiction of D-Day, and Tom Brokaw's writings about "The Greatest Generation," have given younger generations a greater appreciation of the days of World War II. "Some people refer to it as the last good war," Maney said.

War-torn opinion

Not everyone is swept up in the World War II mania. A dissenting voice is Vietnam veteran and two-time Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone ("Platoon," "Born on the Fourth of July") who argues that there is no such thing as a good war.

"What the hell does Tom Brokaw know about World War II?" Stone said. "War, any war, can bring out the best in people and sometimes the worst. You had plenty of soldiers going AWOL in World War II." Stone isn't at all excited about "Pearl Harbor" and doesn't like the fact that it ends on an upbeat note - Gen. Jimmy Doolittle's raid on Tokyo.

"Is this wide-eyed optimism going to start another Rambo mentality? Rambo was a disservice to all military men everywhere." And don't try to tell Stone about all the obstacles the people of the 1930s and 1940s had to face. "Greatest generation? I thought ours was a great generation. I think we made a lot of changes for the better. A lot of (World War II) veterans have selective memories."

More than battles

Lou Reda, a World War II veteran, who has produced more than 250 documentaries, half of them devoted to that war, says the togetherness the country felt at that time is no myth.

"That happened right away," Reda said. "Look at the men and women at Pearl Harbor. As soon as the bombs began dropping, they rallied and pulled together and fought back. Everyone got involved directly or indirectly - the women, the families, the sisters. They all got behind the war effort."

Reda also credited Spielberg and Brokaw with introducing the great conflict to new generations. "Children and grandchildren have begun to ask about it," Reda said. "Many veterans who were deeply involved in combat and would never discuss their experiences are now talking about them. There seems to be more interest in the war than ever."

The History Channel, which has aired many of Reda's films, has long been aware of the interest in World War II Abbe Raven, senior vice president of programming for the channel, says shows about World War II "have always done well" and get good response. "It was a noble war," Raven said. "The war had an unbelievable impact on most everyone. It was the first war in which women were mobilized and contributed in a number of ways. It really turned family life upside down. It was certainly one of the defining moments of the 20th century."

Raven believes there is another reason World War II has taken the spotlight again. "I think as the baby boomers have gotten older they start looking at their roots and get a better understanding of what their parents and, in some case, their grandparents went through. Because of that many of us have an emotional connection to World War II."

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