Pacific Inferno

Year releasted: 1979

by Noel Murray
October 4th, 2006

Also known as: Do They Ever Cry In America?

Tagline: "This MISSION will be BLOWN… to PIECES!"

Plot: According to the opening crawl, "It is a fact of history that in 1942 General MacArthur ordered General Wainwright to dump $16,000,000 in silver pesos into Manila Bay to prevent their capture and use by the invading Japanese army." But the Japanese have assets at their disposal: captured Navy diver Jim Brown and his crewmates. In halting, exclamatory English, the prison-camp commander warns, "Please be informed… we are all aware… of your skill… in underwater work!" At first, Brown plays along, because the Japanese treat him better than any American ever did. But later, he later changes his mind and hatches a plan to help the Philippine resistance, prompting a showdown. "It is not… my desire… to kill you," the commander shouts. "We must talk… and come to… human understanding!"

Key scenes: When the resistance leads Brown and company to a burned-out building, Brown flashes back to race riots at home. Meanwhile, one of his crewmates spots a pretty flower in the wreckage, and remembers a good-time boogie-woogie dance.

Can easily be distinguished by: The sludgy pace and quiet, murky action sequences. There's a lot of standing around, even when the situation is reportedly urgent.

Sign that it was made in 1979: There's a montage of World War II stock footage set to Edwin Starr's "War," and silky soul music plays under the scene where Brown cozies up to a native and coos, "You're a whole lot of woman. I'm just trying to put it into words."

Timeless message: Ain't no Japanese ever called Jim Brown "nigger."

Memorable quotes: When Brown's naval commander objects to bunking with a black man, Brown hisses, "This ain't no ship! And it surely ain't no United States of no goddamn America!" When the commander replies, "As far as I'm concerned, this is still the Navy and nothing has changed," Brown sighs, "You got that right."