Whether the Memorial Day movie Pearl Harbor meets the early hype tabbing it the next
Titanic remains to be seen. What is already decided is both crews’ selection of Musco
systems for filming key elements of these feature films.
Pearl Harbor, set to open in theatres on May 25, does have similarities to the blockbuster
movie Titanic:
Both films are based on tragic historical events;
The premise of both films is the evolution of a relationship between two people who get caught up in a catastrophic event;
Both were filmed in Rosarito Beach, Mexico for the “sinking ship” scenes — and used the same 300-foot by 300-foot tank with the Pacific Ocean as the background;
Several films have portrayed the events of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as part of an
historical account of the United States’ involvement in World War II. This film takes a different
approach.
Pearl Harbor is about two best friends who learned to fly as crop dusters, and then enlist in military
services — one in the U.S. Army Air Corps and one in the British Royal Air Force. Their relationship,
complicated for their love for the same woman, culminates in an ironic finale when they find themselves
in the middle of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The film stars Ben Affleck, Josh Harnett, and Jon Voight
as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Los Angeles, Calif. — The simulated Pearl Harbor hospital, filmed from an added wing at Linda
Vista Hospital. A Musco Light™ was parked across the street for a day interior shot of
the dozen giant arched windows.
“The Musco went everywhere with us,” said cinematographer John Schwartzman. From the massive
shots at Rosarito Beach to the simulated Pearl Harbor hospital in Los Angeles, Calif., to the huge blimp
hangar in Tustin, Calif., the Mobile technology and crew helped keep the film on time and on budget.
“Musco provided the most beautiful light for the most breathtaking shot in this picture,” said
underwater specialist Pete Romano — the shot of a torn, bullet-riddled American flag floating into
the ocean. Romano treaded water in the tank with his photography equipment, and with Musco’s light
rack 165 feet above water pointing straight down to provide backlight, created a “shot everyone is
going to remember.”
It will be interesting to see if the similarities between Titanic and Pearl Harbor extend
to box office sales and awards. •
The Musco Light™ was used at several locations throughout the filming, including
as a back light for the scene depicting the capsizing and sinking of the U.S.S. Oklahoma.
