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Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

War · History · Drama · 2001

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Movie details

Pearl Harbor

“It takes a moment to change history. It takes love to change lives.”

2001 War · History · Drama 3h 3m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Pearl Harbor?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Sergeant York

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The Caine Mutiny

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World Trade Center

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Michael Bay

Written by

Randall Wallace

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck

Rafe McCawley

Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett

Danny Walker

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale

Evelyn Johnson

William Lee Scott

William Lee Scott

Billy

Greg Zola

Greg Zola

Anthony Fusco

Ewen Bremner

Ewen Bremner

Red

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin

Doolittle

Court is in session

Put Pearl Harbor on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.