4 (80%) 1
(1976) DVD, Blu-Ray
Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda lead an all-star cast, interweaving the dramatic personal stories of the men who fought one of the most important battles of World War II.
What makes Midway an essential WWII movie?
The victory at Midway marked the beginning of the end for Japan. This 1976 film feels more like a history lesson than a drama, but World War II buffs will appreciate the attention to historical fact (especially the way in which fate and a few bad decisions turned the tide), as well as the generous use of actual battle footage.
Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda lead an all-star cast in Midway, interweaving the dramatic personal stories of the men who fought one of the most important battles of World War II. Just six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the battle of Midway sounded its furious thunder in June 1942, which became the turning point of the Pacific for the United States. Featuring breakthrough war footage, Midway conveys the powerful reality and epic sweep of a nation's defining battle.Six months after the Japanese destroyed the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, the Americans discovered the Japanese were planning to seize the Naval base at Midway Island--a perfect staging point for invading Hawaii or the mainland. Outnumbered four to one, the Americans won a surprise victory and shattered the backbone of the Japanese Imperial Navy.
This 1976 film feels more like a history lesson than a drama, but World War II buffs will appreciate the attention to historical fact (especially the way in which fate and a few bad decisions turned the tide), as well as the generous use of actual battle footage. The all-star cast includes Robert Mitchum, James Coburn, and Cliff Robertson in cameos and a whole slew of familiar TV faces in supporting roles. Hal Holbrook is fun as an oddball intelligence officer. --Geof Miller
The Battle of Midway...
Related Scanning WWII dates...
04 Jun 42: Battle of Midway begins; naval supremacy belongs to Japan
07 Jun 42: Battle of Midway ends; naval supremacy belongs to the USA
Loosely related Scanning WWII dates...
05 Jul 39: Japanese carrier HIRYU commissioned