Wings employs an effective combination: interviews with veterans, including sailors from the USS Drexler, a destroyer sunk by a kamikaze off Okinawa; commentary from historians, both American and Japanese; archival footage (much of it new and very effectively integrated); and visits to former kamikaze bases, memorials, and museums. The film’s centerpiece, of course, is the four airmen. Their stories reflect a continuing effort to come to terms with the Japanese wartime experience. One pilot speaks with pride of having answered his nation’s call, while another forcefully condemns the emperor for allowing the war to drag on. One candidly admits that his reaction upon being told he was to fly his mission was, “Oh, I’m screwed.” Some viewers may be taken aback by seeing one crew’s mission depicted as a manga cartoon, but the technique is very Japanese—and surprisingly effective. With first-rate production values added, this worthy documentary sheds new light on a poorly understood aspect of World War II.

To read an interview with an American sailor who survived a kamikaze attack off Okinawa, click here.

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