Pearl Harbor documentaries revisit bombing
| • | Schedule of documentaries |
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
Two TV documentaries on the USS Arizona will be shown free in separate screenings at the Hilton Hawaiian Village this weekend.
"Pearl Harbor: Death of the Arizona," produced for the Discovery Channel, and "Save Our History: USS Arizona," made for the History Channel, are part of a weeklong series of programs commemorating the 60th anniversary of World War II, continuing through Dec. 7.
The documentaries — one exploring theories on whether one bomb did the Arizona in, the other raising environmental concerns because of oil seepage and deterioration — also will be shown nationally on cable television. They offer a revealing look at the tragedy of Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese bombs claimed 1,177 crew members in a "day of infamy."
"Death of the Arizona" is the more compelling work, reconstructing through high-tech wizardry the 11 minutes after the 7:55 a.m. bombing.
Using eyewitness reports and reflections by WWII survivors on the scene, "Death" attempts to solve the mystery of where the destructive bomb fell and whether torpedoes were involved, and showcases archival footage — broadcast for the first time — of the moment the bomb fell.
"West Wing" actress Stockard Channing narrates "Death," and "Titanic" actress Gloria Stuart is one of the main interviewees. Stuart co-starred in the little-known 1934 film "Here Comes the Navy" and visited the ship before the war.
"Death" depicts the Arizona as a symbol of sacrifice and courage.
Survivor Joseph Langdell said world history changed with the sinking.
The heat from the fire was so intense, said survivor Dick Fiske, "it felt like sticking your head in a hot oven."
In an eerie bit of editing work, Daniel Martinez, park historian at the USS Arizona Memorial, reflects on the ship from the dock as a black-and-white image is superimposed behind him, in the precise spot where the ship was docked before the bombs fell.
This is one of the Discovery Channel's rare gems.
The other documentary, "Save Our History," forms part of the History Channel's "Save Our History" campaign to preserve and perpetuate historic sites, structures and artifacts — in this case, a disintegrating memorial that is both a visitor attraction and grave.
Survivors' comments punctuate archival shots of the bombing and contemporary glimpses of the memorial where more than a quart of oil a day still oozes from the bowels of the ship. Survivor Robert Kinzler says the drop-by-drop releases of oil "mean a lot," alluding to tears or blood from a wound.
Says Fiske, "When the last survivor dies, I believe the oil will stop coming out."
"Pearl Harbor: Death of the Arizona"
• Free screening 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tapa Ballroom, Hilton Hawaiian Village.
• Discovery Channel (Oceanic analog 34, digital 333; Verizon Americast 54), 7 and 11 p.m. Sunday; repeats 6 and 10 p.m. Dec. 7, 2 p.m. Dec. 9 and 11 a.m. Dec. 15.
"Save Our History: USS Arizona"
• Free screening 7 p.m. Sunday, Tapa Ballroom, Hilton Hawaiian Village.
• History Channel (Oceanic analog 63, digital 327; Verizon Americast 52), 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 7; repeats at 10 a.m. Dec. 9. Call 422-2771, Ext. 110 or www.pearlharborevents.com
