Midway (1976) YIFY - Download Movie TORRENT

I first saw this movie when it was opening as a 10 year old boy who was enamored with WWII. At that time to me, it was one of the best war movies I had ever seen. Due to my prior readings on the battle, I knew it followed the history fairly well, and I was able to tune out the romance sub plot. The look of movie was something that was something I was not familiar with in war movies up to that point. The indoor officers were in nice neat uniforms, while the pilots, Marines, and common sailors had a weary rumpled look. And the language! I had not yet heard so much cursing in a war movie (it was 1976 and for the most part John Wayne type movies were the norm). But I loved it all! I knew most of the planes shown on screen were not accurate, and much of the combat footage was from later in the war. But it showed a different type of war movie. The Japanese were strong, smart, and nearly invincible. Not monsters or maniacs, but allowing overconfidence at times to cloud some decisions. The Americans were brave, novices, unsure of themselves at times, yet determined not to fail, no matter the cost. Not the overpowering unbeatable force of years to come later in the war. Watching during the initial phases of combat as obsolete US planes were shot down one by one by the superior Japanese fighters, I was captivated by the self sacrifice(a year later the ending dogfight in Star Wars would make me think of Torpedo 8). Then the tide turned as events, luck, and timing change the course of battle. In the end, the US wins, the Japanese are defeated, and survivors ponder the results and reasons why briefly. Flash forward 32 years later and I watch this movie again on my DVD copy on the 66th anniversary of the battle. This movie holds up not too badly against the test of time. Much time has passed in by movie making and in my gaining knowledge of this subject. To me the strengths still hold, as do the weaknesses. The interracial romance subplot is certainly a 70s addition. Certainly not believable in a historical context. The stock footage of aircraft certainly still glares in error as well. Color footage was shot during the battle and released in a documentary. A small amount was incorporated into the movie. Much more could have replaced other sequences that were used in the movie. Many of the Tora!Tora!Tora! conversion aircraft were still local to Universal Studios at Orange County or Chino airports at the time of filming. Some were used in the Midway Island bombing sequence, but not in the Yorktown attacks. Too bad they did not make more use of them for a better look. The Japanese film sequences from "Storm Over the Pacific" actually worked very well for their capturing the look of the Japanese carriers and the activities on board. As did the lifted opening from "30 seconds Over Tokyo". Much of the dialog on film is true to life with certain quotes historically accurate. "Look at that b*****d burn", was the first radio message clearly heard on the US carriers letting them know any of the air strikes had made contact and been successful. It also holds up sticking fairly close to the time line of actual events, but there are several events omitted. Finally the effects were not bad. For pre CGI the choices are to build full scale mocks ups, use an area or item that has a resemblance or miniatures. All three methods were used to good effect. And the results were for the most part just as good as, if not better than the more modern (film making wise) CGI heavy "Pearl Harbor". All in all, a decent war movie, still worth watching, flaws and all.

Many World War II films have been made about combat in the Pacific. Several have battle scenes from Midway. But this is the first feature film to cover the Battle of Midway in depth - from inception to completion. It gives a broad picture of the naval battle that many historians say turned the tide of war in the Pacific theater. The film shows the strategy, the planning, and the conduct of the battle - from both sides. World War II had been over more than 30 years when Universal made this film. So, it's a wonder that some of the original war ships and planes were still available. The only U.S. carrier still in service from WW II was the Lexington. The Navy used it to train pilots in the Gulf of Mexico out of Pensacola Naval Air Station. The film crew boarded the ship, took a sea cruise and spent a couple weeks shooting scenes for the movie. "Midway" is a good historical film for its account of the battle - again, from both sides. Of special interest are some key things that otherwise might be forgotten. One was the early American partial breaking of the Japanese code. Another was the ruse that American Commander Joseph Rochefort (Hal Holbrook) devised to verify the identity of Midway as the next big target for Japan. Then there's the fifth Japanese scout plane that spotted the American carrier fleet. But it couldn't alert its fleet because the plane's radio wouldn't work. Another was the torpedo squadron that veered away from its mission coordinates under Lt. Cdr. John Waldron who led them right to the Japanese carrier fleet. And then, the Japanese carriers were caught between their returning aircraft and the next sorties. So, the Americans could attack them before their second wave launch, with bombs and torpedoes on their decks. "Midway" is a fine war story that uses actual battle film footage shot by the Navy, as well as film footage of Pearl Harbor and the American and Japanese fleets from that time. That is interspersed with the live action scenes on shore and at sea. A superb cast of actors play the key characters of the Japanese Imperial navy. And a huge cast of movie stars fills the American roles. A fictional character, Capt. Matt Garth is added. Charlton Heston plays that role around which a subplot develops involving his son's desire to marry a Japanese-American girl. Most films made about WW II since the late 20th century have used rebuilt equipment, models, and/or CGI for planes, tanks, ships, vehicles, etc. "Pearl Harbor" of 2001 is an example. CGI is even used to replicate and multiply sections within battles or panorama scenes. "Dunkirk" of 2017 is an example. The few remaining actual items from the wars of the first half of the 20th century today are in museums. Some ships are museums or monuments in themselves. I was in an award-winning high school band that marched in the 1959 Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena CA, and performed at a few places in the area. One of those was on the U.S.S. Hornet that was commissioned in November 1943. Our 100-piece band was assembled on the hangar deck and then raised to the flight deck as we played "Stars and Stripes Forever." We weren't Hollywood entertainment, but the 2,000 sailors and airmen seemed to enjoy our program all the same. This "new" Hornet was named after the carrier from Midway. It was sunk at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in January 1943 . The new Hornet was still in service in January 1959 and stationed at Long Beach. It was struck from Navy roles in July 1989 and today is a museum ship and national landmark at Alameda, CA.Some historians and others speculate that had Japan won the Battle of Midway, the Allies may have lost World War II. There's no doubt that the war would have been prolonged - probably by a few years. The U.S. then would have put more of its forces into West Coast defense and building up to fight the Japanese. So, the war in Europe might have looked quite different. Germany would no longer have to worry about an allied assault in the West and might have prevailed over Russia. Perhaps it would have tried to invade England in 1943 or 1944. But fears about Japan conquering the U.S. or even landing on the West Coast are quite outlandish. At its peak in mid-1942, the Japanese army had five million men. Those troops were spread across China and SE Asia, in the Philippines, and across numerous islands in the South Pacific. Many of them were needed just to hold onto their conquests. It would take many more men to take and hold Hawaii. And what chance would there be for Japan to invade and hold the 1,300 miles of the continental U.S. West Coast?However, the Japanese did fire on the U.S. in two places in 1942. A submarine fired at an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, doing minor damage. Later, a submarine fired 17 shells at Fort Stevens near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. None of them hit the ancient fort, which was under blackout. Most of the shells landed in a baseball field and a swamp. Two places where shells hit are marked with signs to this day in and near Fort Stevens State Park West of Warrenton, OR. Those events did raise panic among Americans and are said to have contributed to the internment of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast.Here's a favorite line from this film. Admiral Nimitz (Henry Fonda), to Cdr. Joseph Rochefort (Hal Holbrook), "No matter what happens, Joe, I want you to know you've sure as hell earned your salary this month."

Midway

1976

Action / Drama / History / War

Midway

1976

Action / Drama / History / War

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Movie Reviews

Midway,Then and Now (spoilers)

Excellent naval battle film from strategy to combat

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