Pearl Harbor Movie Differences

Pearl Harbor was based on the actual attack on Pearl Harbor so their were many similarities to show what actually happened. In the first scene of the Japanese raid, a low-flying Japanese plane flew over Oahu and it passed over a sandlot baseball field where the pilot warned the children of the attack. This similarity is shown when, “The [Japanese] tail gunner waves at the kids below, warning them to take cover before bombs begin to fall” (Robert Sullivan, Daniel S. Levy). Also the main characters are based on actual men and their actions. The main characters, Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker, are based on George Welch and Kenneth Taylor who were two of the few pilots that were able to become airborne and engage the Japanese attackers. According to Robert Sullivan and Daniel S. Levy, “Lieutenants George S. Welch and Kenneth Taylor… managed to get aloft and were credited with four kills in their first action, three more near the end of the attack”. Director Michael Bay, showed these fact to give some of the truths of what happened.

For example, the film showed the commanding officer, Admiral Kimmel, being informed of the coming attack while he was on a golf course. But, on the contrary, “‘... Kimmel hadn 't left for the golf course,’ says [Bruce] Reynolds” (Mick LaSalle). Additionally, in the film there was nothing shown or indicating that their were two separate attacks. Bay’s, Pearl Harbor, follows the lives of Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker who experienced only one wave of the attack. In reality, “At 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, a first wave of Japanese planes lifted off from the carriers, followed by a second wave an hour later” (“The Path to Pearl Harbor”). Even though the director did not accurately depict the the entire event, viewers got a feel for the devastating