Director: John Farrow
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Top Billed Actors: Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, Macdonald Carey
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 4 more:
Outstanding Motion Picture - Paramount
Best Director - John Farrow
Best Supporting Actor - William Bendix
Best Original Screenplay - W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler
Plot: In the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack, a group of marines and their dog defend an island from an onslaught of Japanese soldiers.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Top Billed Actors: Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, Macdonald Carey
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 4 more:
Outstanding Motion Picture - Paramount
Best Director - John Farrow
Best Supporting Actor - William Bendix
Best Original Screenplay - W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler
Plot: In the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack, a group of marines and their dog defend an island from an onslaught of Japanese soldiers.
After the United States officially entered World War II in December of 1941, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would begin making movies that depict brave Americans defending life and liberty and all that; Wake Island (1942) is one of the first films to do so. Wake Island is a blip on the map in between Japan and Hawaii. The film tells the story of the defense campaign there, in which a squadron of Marines (along with civilian contractors) were hopelessly outnumbered by the invading Japanese regiments. Apparently, the battle was still ongoing when Paramount started developing this project and there were even multiple endings filmed that would correlate with how the overall war was looking for the United States and the Allies. The film was a big box office hit for 1942 and it was critically acclaimed as well, placing fourth on the annual Film Daily poll of critics.
I can see why this was as popular as it was for the time. When this was released, not even a calendar year had gone by since America entered the war. The appetite to see our boys being brave and overcoming the odds must have been high for movie-goers. There are many impressive battle sequences that immerse you into the action (how did this not get a Best Sound or Best Special Effects nomination?) but it ultimately comes down to the courage these men had when faced with impossible odds. It's said the film was shown to boost soldiers' morale and the message of "this is not the end!" is a lasting one. I also appreciated the reduced amount of plot contrivances. The rapport between Robert Preston and William Bendix passes the time nicely but the focus is on the overall campaign and not the specifics of these characters. It may come across as disengaging as there isn't much pathos to be found, but it makes for a streamlined experience that adequately gets its point across.
But perhaps the story was too disengaging. The lack of a plot puts a lot of pressure on the battle sequences. Although the aerial footage, explosions, and gun-blazing are all well done, something lacks in the edit. Any given combat sequence is well executed, but the way all of the footage is pieced together makes it feel sloppy without story arcs to follow. A plot isn't required to tell a story with how a plane takes off, engages in a dogfight, and lands. Sure we see this, but there isn't an appropriate amount of tension and the stakes are never clearly laid out aside from the sheer numbers of Japanese soldiers and equipment. What would be the result of losing the island? I also took issue with showing so much of the Japanese soldiers in the battle sequences. It would have been more impactful for them to be the unseen enemy, up until the point of their capture of the island.
Overall, an important first step in America's involvement in World War II and how Hollywood responded. The lack of a contrived plot both aides and hinders the general quality of the film but the battle sequences still look and sound spectacular.
My Score: 6/10
I can see why this was as popular as it was for the time. When this was released, not even a calendar year had gone by since America entered the war. The appetite to see our boys being brave and overcoming the odds must have been high for movie-goers. There are many impressive battle sequences that immerse you into the action (how did this not get a Best Sound or Best Special Effects nomination?) but it ultimately comes down to the courage these men had when faced with impossible odds. It's said the film was shown to boost soldiers' morale and the message of "this is not the end!" is a lasting one. I also appreciated the reduced amount of plot contrivances. The rapport between Robert Preston and William Bendix passes the time nicely but the focus is on the overall campaign and not the specifics of these characters. It may come across as disengaging as there isn't much pathos to be found, but it makes for a streamlined experience that adequately gets its point across.
But perhaps the story was too disengaging. The lack of a plot puts a lot of pressure on the battle sequences. Although the aerial footage, explosions, and gun-blazing are all well done, something lacks in the edit. Any given combat sequence is well executed, but the way all of the footage is pieced together makes it feel sloppy without story arcs to follow. A plot isn't required to tell a story with how a plane takes off, engages in a dogfight, and lands. Sure we see this, but there isn't an appropriate amount of tension and the stakes are never clearly laid out aside from the sheer numbers of Japanese soldiers and equipment. What would be the result of losing the island? I also took issue with showing so much of the Japanese soldiers in the battle sequences. It would have been more impactful for them to be the unseen enemy, up until the point of their capture of the island.
Overall, an important first step in America's involvement in World War II and how Hollywood responded. The lack of a contrived plot both aides and hinders the general quality of the film but the battle sequences still look and sound spectacular.
My Score: 6/10