Victory in the Pacific (2005)
Victory in the Pacific (2005)This episode of the PBS American Experience series examines how the war against Japan came to an end in 1945. Ultimately, it is a sharp rebuttal to the recently fashionable notion that the U.S. did not really need to use atomic bombs against Japan. Victory in the Pacific closely examines the nature and conduct of the war in the Pacific, the challenges facing the proposed U.S. amphibious assault on mainland Japan, and the literally suicidal mindset with which some Japanese fought for their emperor and country.
For example, the film reconstructs through eye-witness testimony an attempted coup by Japanese officers in order to prevent the emperor from issuing his surrender order—and this after the country had been struck by two atomic bombs. Japan in 1945, the film argues, was no prostrate enemy incapable of defending itself. Whereas the Allies on D-Day outnumbered the Germans on the beaches of Normandy, Allied forces preparing to invade the closest Japanese home island were outnumbered by Japanese defenders.
The documentary possesses fairly good quality visuals, as expected for the American Experience series. The visual style is straightforward and very traditional: a great deal of period motion picture footage (though most of it is in color); period still photographs; period records and documents shown on screen. When detailing military situations, the program provides effective computer graphics to illustrate troop movements and attacks (particularly helpful are the graphics for the fighting on Okinawa). Explanation is provided by a narrator through voice-over, but commentators frequently appear on screen to provide additional detail or analysis. Most of the commentators are historians, though several are witnesses who experienced the war in the Pacific—both Americans and Japanese.
The film does not pull any punches in discussing the ferocity of the Pacific conflict on both sides. Here the period footage is particularly effective: It is still harrowing 60 years later to watch footage of Japanese civilians on Saipan throwing themselves to their deaths off a cliff rather than surrender to American forces.
Unfortunately, Victory in the Pacific may prove a challenge to use in history classrooms due to its total running time of nearly two hours. The DVD is not particularly efficiently tracked, so using clips or segments requires a good deal of jumping tracks and fast-forwarding. Still, educators may find it worth the time to use this documentary because of its rich historical content and provocative arguments. Teachers who work with younger grades may want to carefully consider whether their students can handle the grimmest aspects of the war (such firebombing cities, flamethrowers used to kill Japanese hiding in caves, and Japanese suicide attacks).
Scott Metzger Pennsylvania State University sam59@psu.edu
