National Geographic Pearl Harbor Legacy of Attack DVD

This DVD offers additional historical insight into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The disc offers a standard full-frame transfer. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. There are neither subtitles nor closed captions on this release. In addition to interviews with survivors and the first ever images of the sunken U.S.S. Arizona, the disc contains interactive maps of the Japanese bombing runs. This disc is narrated by Tom Brokaw and is as enlightening as one would expect from a National Geographic release. Editorial Review: National Geographic's Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack -- a Memorial Day special, broadcast on NBC May 28, 2001 -- offers viewers a harrowing and candid look at the "day that will live in infamy," as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it. The program, narrated by Tom Brokaw, also delves into the consequences of the extraordinary Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet and the many stories surrounding the event. Cutting back and forth from events surrounding the tragedy in 1941 to the present day, the program features an expedition led by scientist and ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard (National Geographic's Secrets of the Titanic) that attempts to locate a lost Japanese submarine sunk by U.S. naval forces. Harrowing black-and-white file footage from the attacks strikes a perfect balance with the thoughtful serenity of the men on the current mission. Accompanying Ballard are the two sailors who helped sink the sub, Will Leynard and Russ Reeds, as well as Kiichichi Daiwa, a Japanese radioman who helped direct the subs towards their targets. The now-and-then unease is dramatically underscored by the comments of Carl Carson, a former seaman long haunted by the attack who had refused to return to the scene until...well, let's not give too much away.