Report from the Aleutians (1943)

Report From the Aleutians is a documentary propaganda film produced by the U.S. Army Signal Corps about the Aleutian Islands Campaign during World War II. It was directed and narrated by John Huston. In contrast to the other technicolor films made in the Pacific war, Report from the Aleutians has relatively little combat footage, and instead concentrates on the daily lives of the servicemen on Adak Island, as they live and work there while flying missions over nearby Kiska. The film opens with a map showing the strategic importance of the island, and the thrust of the 1942 Japanese offensive into Midway and Dutch Harbor. Photographs of the pilots who beat the Japanese back at Dutch Harbor are passed before the camera. "There is no monument to these men. If you want to see their monument, look around you." The American forces dug in at Adak Island, and there commenced daily bombing missions over the Japanese who had taken Kiska. The film focuses on their routine activities such as harbor patrols, messes, news boards and mail call. "Ask any pilot. He'd tell you he'd gladly fly an extra trip over Kiska to get just one letter." One pilot's crash landing is shown, and his funeral is filmed. The last twenty minutes or so of the film is taken from footage taken over a mission over Japanese positions. The monotony of the one hour trip there is emphasised, noting that some have taken up "mental solitaire" on the way over. But at Kiska there is no lack of excitement, as several loads of bombs are dropped over the Japanese, and fire is exchanged by the tailgunner. At the end of the film the servicemen at Adak are shown rejoicing that all of their comrades have returned.

Report From the Aleutians est un film documentaire de propagande produit par l'U.S. Army Signal Corps sur la campagne des îles Aléoutiennes pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il a été réalisé et narré par John Huston. Contrairement aux autres films en technicolor réalisés pendant la guerre du Pacifique, Report From the Aleutians contient relativement peu d'images de combat et se concentre plutôt sur la vie quotidienne des militaires sur l'île Adak, alors qu'ils y vivent et y travaillent tout en effectuant des missions de vol au-dessus de Kiska, à proximité. Le film s'ouvre sur une carte montrant l'importance stratégique de l'île et la poussée de l'offensive japonaise de 1942 à Midway et Dutch Harbor. Des photographies des pilotes qui ont repoussé les Japonais à Dutch Harbor sont présentées à la caméra. "Il n'y a pas de monument à la mémoire de ces hommes.