this film be one of the great one . have serve on an aircraft carrier for 2 . 5 year and i be familiar with aircraft carrier excitement . but the movie be more than just wonderful shot of the u. s. nimitz . the cast be top drawer and and their acting be as good a it get . stand above all the great performance be a japanese actor portray a shot down and highly competent and captured japanese zero pilot . while racism understandably raise it ugly head during wartime and with epithet and insult hurl in both direction and in fact this japanese actor portray a japanese warrior at his fine someone whom japanese viewer would be proud of . play equally well be american military personnel and include some marine . one of the candid theme of the movie be the tragedy of such fine people go to war against each other and whatever their race . the film be undeniably top drawer and far more mature than than top gun and with even well fly scene . so i have often wonder why it isn not widely know and not keep in stock in widescreen format . perhaps the answer be today wimpy trend towards politically correct dialog . in one scene and kirk douglas refers to the capture japanese pilot a a yellow bastard . in the video version and this be sanitize . however and sanitize or not and the original racial comment and by itself and may have doom the film from great video distribution . i saw the film when it come out in wide screen format and saw it several time before it leave town . thereafter and the only other version available in video be fit to tv screen size . that be tragic . though still excite in box format and the widescreen original be breathtaking . i can not imagine why producer haven not release this in dvd in original wide screen format . it make a huge difference with this film . ( aircraft carrier be huge . ) one interesting comment to add about the f 14 fly scene . i be awe by one particular f 14 maneuver and which i do not think airplane be capable of do . a couple of year later and i talk with a navy fighter pilot and bring this up . he be very familiar with that scene and personally know the pilot who fly the f 14 in the movie . he tell me that the f 14 almost crash in that scene and stall while try to fly too slow and dive for the ocean to pick up speed and and barely recover just above the wave top . this near accident be catch on film and add immensely to the exhibition of fly skill . an exception have be grant to the navy policy of not allow dissimilar aircraft to fly together in movie scene . the result of that granted exception be almost the loss of an f 14. this be an incredibly good drama . i find that the various twist and turn and and particularly the call it off end and all contribute to the drama and moral dilemma . this be a fine and great movie . like others who comment here and it seem tragic that this film be not available in widescreen dvd format . everyone i have show it to love it and male and female . feminism and romance be include and along with a collie dog for the kid .