Pearl Harbor recreates the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The film dramatically portrays the events of this historic day by depicting the lives of two First Lieutenants in the U.S. Army, Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker, who are best friends. These two characters are based on two real U.S. Army Air Corps Second Lieutenants. While the attack on Pearl Harbor is the climax of the film, there is also a romance, complicated by the fact that Rafe’s great love, Evelyn, a Navy nurse, falls in love with Danny after Rafe is believed to be dead. The viewer sees how unexpected the Japanese attack is and how unprepared the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor is for it. The American response to the Pear Harbor attack is also recounted in the Doolittle Raid on the Japanese islands. This film shows the real events of World War II, while also portraying what the war was like for soldiers, pilots, and all those involved. The two men remain committed to help one another survive, but only one lives and manages to win Evelyn’s heart.