On 7 December, people in the US will remember the Pearl Harbour attacks that left 2,403 American people – including 68 civilians – dead.

It was on that day in 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service struck the Pearl Harbour US naval base in Hawaii, shocking the American public opinion and precipitating the US entry into World War II.

Over the past 77 years, works of fiction have told the story of the attacks from different perspectives, with varying degrees of accuracy.

The story of Pearl Harbour has been told in various ways, through the lens of a Hollywood romantic period war drama, through to an Oscar-winning documentary-turned-propaganda-flop by influential filmmaker John Ford.

Here are a selection of movies and films that have tackled the Pearl Harbour story, and how accurately they managed it:

Pearl Harbour

In 2001, American filmmaker Michael Bay delivered a divisive war drama starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, and Alec Baldwin.

Its narrative focuses on a love triangle between childhood friends Rafe McCawley (Affleck) and Danny Walker (Hartnett), and nurse Evelyn Johnson (Beckinsale). The set-up has prompted Rotten Tomatoes to say Pearl Harbour “tries to be the Titanic of war movies” – meaning it attempts to give viewers an account of historical events through the lens of a romantic story.

But critics remained unconvinced by Bay’s effort, which was released to mainly negative reviews. The film was also criticised for its historical inaccuracies, with historian Lawrence Suid writing that it “fails to provide even a reasonable facsimile of history”.

Despite this lukewarm reception, Pearl Harbour was nominated for four Academy Awards and won the Best Sound Editing title – all while earning six nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture.

Ben Affleck plays Rafe McCawley in Michael Bay's 2001 film "Pearl Harbour". (Buena Vista Pictures)

From Here to Eternity

Author James Jones, an Illinois native, served in the US Army during World War II. From Here to Eternity, his first published novel, was released in 1951 and won the National Book Award the following year.

Jones’s book, which has often been deemed one of the best American novels of the 20th century, paints a picture of army life in Pearl Harbour before the attacks.

It was turned into the 1953 Oscar-winning movie of the same name, starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Frank Sinatra. The film, which came out to rave reviews, was added in 2003 to the National Film Registry. The addition recognised its status as a “culturally, historically” and “aesthetically significant” work.

December 7th: The Movie

John Ford, a four-time winner of the Best Director Academy Award and Navy veteran, and cinematographer Gregg Toland, worked together on what was once described by the Los Angeles Times as “perhaps the greatest propaganda failure of World War II”.

What started as a documentary with a running time of more than 80 minutes was reduced to 32 minutes after it was shown to the Navy and deemed harmful to morale.

The trimmed-down version, which amounted to war propaganda, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1944.

It is now available in full on Amazon Prime, where it is categorised as a “docudrama”.

In Harm’s Way

Director Otto Preminger delivered his black and white Pearl Harbour epic in 1965.

The film follows the lives of military personnel, as well as that of their loved ones, in the aftermath of the attacks, as the US becomes involved in World War II.

Starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Patricia Neal, the movie was nominated in the Best Cinematography, Black-and-White category during the 1965 Academy Awards ceremony. Neal won the Best Foreign Actress BAFTA Award for her role as Lieutenant Maggie Haines.

The movie was, however, reviewed negatively by The New York Times, which deemed it “a straight, cliché-crowded melodrama of naval action in the Pacific in World War II”.

The Coen brothers films — ranked Show all 17 1 /17 The Coen brothers films — ranked The Coen brothers films — ranked 17. The Ladykillers (2004) The first film in which Joel and Ethan Coen shared both producing and directing credits; previously Joel had always been credited as director and Ethan as producer. A largely pointless remake of the classic Ealing comedy, this has some funny moments and Tom Hanks gives a committed performance in the Alec Guinness role – but one can’t help but wonder why they bothered. Touchstone Pictures The Coen brothers films — ranked 16. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) The film that preceded 'The Ladykillers', this was the siblings’ first job as writers-for-hire. Tapping into a similar vein of screwball comedy to Preston Sturges's work in the Forties, it has a formidable cast: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Geoffrey Rush are excellent. Yet this is a rare Coen comedy that does not stand up to a repeat viewing. Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock The Coen brothers films — ranked 15. Hail, Caesar! (2016) Audiences felt misled by 'Hail, Caesar!' due to its panoply of Hollywood stars and laugh-heavy trailer. The result was a huge discrepancy in enjoyment between the critics and the punters. A love letter to the golden age of Hollywood, this is one of their lighter efforts, but some of the recreations of film styles of yore are dazzling. The Coen brothers films — ranked 14. Burn After Reading (2008) This one finds the lads in a playful mood: a spy caper populated with idiotic characters portrayed by the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich (the latter’s pronunciation of “memoir” is a highlight). The plot is less important than the dialogue, characterisation and jokes. Pitt shows a real aptitude for comedy as a dim-witted fitness instructor. The Coen brothers films — ranked 13. True Grit (2010) Some see 'True Grit' as a poor man’s 'No Country for Old Men', but this is a more faithful adaptation of the Charles Portis novel than the John Wayne version. The Coens, so often accused of cynicism, have rarely produced anything more heartfelt. Hailee Steinfeld, in her breakthrough role, is staggeringly good as a teenager attempting to avenge the murder of her father. REX The Coen brothers films — ranked 12. Miller’s Crossing (1990) There are those who consider this gangster flick — released in the same year as Scorsese’s 'Goodfellas' — to be the Coens' peak achievement. Slow and contemplative, the film contains two of the greatest moments in the entire Coen filmography: John Turturro in the woods and Albert Finney under the bed. Scorsese would later direct the pilot episode of 'Boardwalk Empire', a television show with more than a hint of 'Miller’s Crossing'. 20th Century Fox The Coen brothers films — ranked 11. Raising Arizona (1987) The opening 11 minutes of the Coens’ sophomore effort — before the title even appears — is one of the most beautiful, hilarious and perfectly executed sequences in modern cinema. Nicolas Cage didn’t enjoy the experience of making 'Raising Arizona' since the filmmakers allow their actors very little leeway in terms of improvisation. Holly Hunter has rarely been better and this contains some of the funniest Coen scenes. 20th Century Fox The Coen brothers films — ranked 10. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) The Coens attempt at a family film (“you know, for kids”) that was expected to make waves at the box office but proved a flop, perhaps partly as a result of its idiosyncratic title. This is a comedy with shades of Sturges and Frank Capra. The flashback involving the tailor might be the most perfect gag in the entire Coen canon. Universal Pictures The Coen brothers films — ranked 9. Barton Fink (1991) John Turturro stars as Barton Fink, a playwright attempting to write a screenplay in a deserted hotel while wrestling with his demons and/or John Goodman. Sharp, with a good dose of pathos, it deservedly won the Palme d'Or in 1991. That the Coens decided to make a film about writer’s block while they themselves were struggling to complete 'Miller’s Crossing' means there's a personal element to it, too (“I’ll show you the life of the mind," says Goodman's Charlie Meadows). The Coen brothers films — ranked 8. A Serious Man (2009) A favourite with fans, this begins in a 19th-century Eastern European shelter and ends with the disclaimer that “No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture”. In between, we are treated to the Coens’ most personal film, pitched somewhere between the 'Book of Job' and Saul Bellow’s 'Herzog'. Michael Stuhlbarg is mesmerising as a Minnesotan physics professor who sees his life fall apart in 1967. Focus Features The Coen brothers films — ranked 7. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) The title may be a reference to Sullivan’s Travels, and the plot inspired by Homer's 'The Odyssey', but this is an astonishingly original musical that stands as the most joyous film in the siblings’ filmography. The soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and this sepia-tinted tale of convicts on the run during the Great Depression never fails to lift the spirits. Touchstone/Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock The Coen brothers films — ranked 6. Blood Simple (1984) The maverick filmmakers burst onto the scene with one of the most accomplished debuts in the history of the medium. Shot in just eight weeks, this is a startlingly violent neo-noir with moments of pure horror and that streak of bleak fatalism that would become a recurring theme. The Coen brothers films — ranked 5. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) Quite possibly the film of the decade, 'Inside Llewyn Davis' stars Oscar Isaac as a folk singer struggling to make ends meet in and around the Greenwich Village scene of 1961. For anyone who’s ever embarked on a creative pursuit and was worried that talent alone might not be enough, this is more terrifying than any horror. The Coen brothers films — ranked 4. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) The Coens most underrated film, 'The Man Who Wasn’t There' was inspired by a poster showing various haircuts from the 1940s that the brothers came across while shooting 'The Hudsucker Proxy'. Billy Bob Thornton has never been better than he is playing Ed Crane, a quiet barber who suspects his wife of having an affair and becomes embroiled in the kind of classic noir perfected by Billy Wilder. Working Title/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock The Coen brothers films — ranked 3. No Country for Old Men (2007) A crime classic cut from the same cloth as 'Fargo' and 'Blood Simple', this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. It is the Coens’ most taut film and their most critically acclaimed this century. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is a cinematic villain for the ages. The Coen brothers films — ranked 2. Fargo (1996) Deftly blending comedy and horror, this timeless crime caper propelled the Coens into the mainstream and spawned a widly successful television series. The screenplay won an Oscar; so, too, did Frances McDormand (wife of Joel) for her terrific performance as the pregnant police chief investigating a double homicide in Minnesota, birthplace of the filmmakers. Gramercy Pictures The Coen brothers films — ranked 1. The Big Lebowski (1998) Creedence. White Russians. Bowling. We end where we began, and while some will argue that the Coen brothers have made deeper, wiser and worthier films – that’s just, like, their opinion, man. This is their funniest work and, after a lacklustre reception, its reputation has grown to the point where it is now the quintessential cult movie. More importantly, for large swathes of us, it is absolutely guaranteed to ensure a good mood. The film, like its hero and the brothers behind it, abides. Rex Features

Pearl Harbour: A novel of December 8th​

Republican politician Newt Gingrich is also the author of several alternate history novels. Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th is part of a two-book series dedicated to the Pacific War.

The title references 8 December instead of 7 December – the date of the attack in the US – because, due to the time difference, the Pearl Harbour offensive began on different days in each of the two countries.

Pearl Harbour: A Novel of December 8th, sold as “a novel of valour about those who took part in this cataclysmic moment in world history”, was also poorly reviewed by The New York Times at the time of its release in 2007 for its “war on punctuation”.