World War Two Bad Movie Bugaloo

The other day this blog's Confederate Contingent noted that 2001's catastrophic Pearl Harbor should never have been made. Man, oh man, is that ever true. Not even Kate Beckinsale in one of those 1940's era bikini thingies makes that film watchable, and we don't say that lightly.

This blog has noted before that Battle of the Bulge is a piece of crap. Eisenhower hated it so much he issued a statement disavowing the film.

Don't kid yourself, folks. When you say Saving Private Ryan is great, you mean the blockbuster opening scene. The rest of that film is a dystopian nightmare made by a Baby Boomer who thinks time began with the Baby Boomers. Saving Private Ryan is a WWII film about WWII films. 

We came away from The Thin Red Line thinking, What the fuck was that? We remain baffled by Terrance Mallick's reputation. However we haven't seen The Thin Red Line since, perhaps it has aged well with time?

Speaking of aging, how about those late 60's WWII films? One watches Kelly's Heroes and thinks, Man, it's 1970. We love Kelly's Heroes. The Bridge at Remagan is another bit of the late 60's. Great opener, though. Das Boot has a great opener too, but doesn't look like 1981. Heh, John Wayne's In Harm's Way screams, 'It's 1964!' lots of babes, though, so we'll forgive him. 

What are the worst WWII movies?

No Need to Apologize

So the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Pearl Harbor, which I admit is a little weird. When my wife and I went to Hawaii in 2000 Japanese tourists were at Pearl harbor. Hell, Japanese tourists were everywhere. One afternoon I was the only American on Waikiki.

The signs to Pearl Harbor were printed in English and Japanese.

You didn't have any trouble finding it the first time, did you?

Then again it has been 75 years.

The Japanese government has announced that Prime Minister Abe wont's apologize:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will honour war dead but won't apologise when he becomes the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor this month, a top government spokesman said on Tuesday.
The move follows Barack Obama's historic May trip to Hiroshima, the first by a sitting US president, where he spoke of victims' suffering but offered no apology for dropping the world's first nuclear bomb.

Why should he? 

Maybe the British should apologize for torching Washington in 1812? I know, France could apologize to Germany for Charlemagne's war against the Saxons in the 8th century.

I'd like to apologize to Amy Goodale for breaking her heart in 1989.

Abe's visit is a nice bit of reciprocity after Obama's visit to Hiroshima.

What good would an apology do? Was Abe a guard on the Bataan Death March or something?

We have moved on.

After the Tsunami hit Japan I explained to my daughter that Japan and America used to be bitter enemies. Now we were allies, and not just allies but friends.  Our two nations and peoples actually like one another. That's not only remarkable after WWII but after the Japan Bashing of the 80's and early 90's. Younger reader(s) should see 'Rising Sun' for context.

So, Prime Minister Abe, visit Pearl Harbor, lay wreath, say a few words and move on.

You have nothing for which to apologize.