HISTORICAL MOVIES: FAKE NEWS RELEASED FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY?

The debate about fake news in connection with information of war events, is a common debate close to any war conflict. The winner of the war is telling you what went on during the conflict. When movie directors want to present a known military or political conflict we know that the debate will begin again: Fake information or fictional descriptions of the conflicts? Historians who know the story of the event, do not accept too much fictional information.

MIDWAY- THE WAR AT SEA IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN- THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Historical movies or films dealing with historical events have been an interest for some years. My main consern has been the use of archival footage in the movies. We are talking about making use of real actions or shots taken during the event described in the movie. The battle of Midway has been on my agenda for years. Books,reports and periodicals which are presenting the famous battle, have been studies. It is not any easy work to understand what went on during the battle. Therefore I approached two movies about the battle with a negative attitude: How much fiction, fake news or fantasy had been used to make the audience interested in viewing the movie?

THE MOVIES EVALUATED: « MIDWAY» and « MIDWAY»

The content of the movies is a story about the battle of Midway. The American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy are the fighting forces. Some main questions have to be asked before viewing the movies: What about making use of archival footage of the events? What are the directors atttiude to fictional descriptions of persons and events? How much of the content is fantacy and how much of the story is based on official reports? What about the film directors demand for making a movie for entertainment use only? What about the selection of aircrafts, guns, uniforms, cars , battleships, to make you believe in the story?

«MIDWAY» - MOVIE RELEASED IN 1976

On the official poster of the movie released in 1976, famous actors are presented: Charlton Heston (1923-2008), Henry Fonda (1905-1980), Robert Mitchum (1917-1997), James Coburn (1928-2002), Glenn Ford ( 1916- 2006), Robert Wagner ( 1930 - ) and Cliff Robertson ( 1923- 2011). The selected actors are all worldwide known in year 1976. For those historians who are experts in the field of military history, the movie might present the events in a way not satisfied for for educational use? After having studied the officails reports about the battle, I think the film is not bad at all. But for those who want only actions and more actions, they may find talks about military strategy boring – but a must for understanding how complicated the battle was.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE – FIGHTING SCENES- COMBAT SHOTS

Archival footage has been used in the movie which was released in 1976.The Japanese and the American aircrafts which are shot down, are not fictional shots but made during the battle. We are approaching an interesting issue: The use of achival footage in fictional movies. Reality is better than fiction but more brutal. Those who are killed are killed in real life.

«MIDWAY»

The movie was released in 2019. The title is: « Midway». What about archival footage used making you understand the dramatic events that took place on June 4-7, 1942 in the Pasific? As far as I can observe the shots I do not find real shots of the events. The making of movies in 2019 differ very much from the making of fictional movies in year 1976. The naval battle of Midway is a complicated battle to explain. To make the story short I just want to present a limited report of the battle.

The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pasific that took place on June 4 to June 7 in year 1942. The Imperial Japanese Navy launched an attack on Midway in order to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific. The plan was to take Midway by surprise just like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The American cryptographers had revealed the Japanese attack on Midway. The American commanders were ready for action. Even if the Japanese commandors understood that the Americans could not be taken by surprise, they went on with the attack. During the first contact between the fighting forces of Japan and Unites States, the Americans were not a winning team at all. To many American aircrafts were shot down by the Japanese  aircrafts. The movie «Midway « which was released in 2019, give you all a good report of the fighting spirit of the American pilots. Too many were killed in actions. The movie do not present a story of the many political and military issues related to the battle. This is the story of the pilots and what they all sacrificed to make an end of the Japanese attacks. The movie is a movie for those who appreciate shots of actions- too many actions. As far as I can see, I do believe in the stories of the fighting American pilots. No fake news for me.

CONCLUSION

If you want to give a lecture of the Battle of Midway for students unknown to the events, I will recommend the presentation of the movie released in 1976. The reports of the battle are complicated to present due to the facts that the Americans did not give in even if they lost ships and pilots and aircrafts. Both movies present the events as dramatic events. There are few heroes but those pilots who never gave up the fight.