"We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." Much better researchers than myself have looked for this quote in anything available before the release of "Tora, Tora, Tora". It simply is not to be found.
Wow, live and learn. So, it was the Japanese that made this up then? They created that part of the film, correct?
Actually I believe that phrase was inserted in the final cut by the Americans so as to give the final portion an "uplifting" direction since all in all it was the movie of an American failure and defeat. You can't leave the American audience in a "bad mood" as they leave the theater if you want box-office success.
Clint is correct. Director Richard Fleischer stated to that effect in one of the documentaries re: Tora. He later said the screen writer found it in Yamamoto's diary although no such diary has ever been produced. This was discussed in detail years ago on the THC forum. At the time, I found an e-mail address for Donald Goldstein (Prange's co-author) and queried him. Goldstein said he had all of Prange's materials and notes and that no reference to the quote was ever found.
Its been a while since I've seen TTT, but doesn't the Yamamoto character actually say it once, then the phrase is actually shown via subtitles again a the very end? If so, did the director request the Japanese put that in? Or am I just making this stuff up? Sorry guys!
I think you are remembering it correctly Darren, that is sort of how I remember it too. But like you mentioned it has been donkey's years since I've seen TTT. Yamamoto did record a quote similar to that, but very different wording. It was something referring to the Samauri code which holds that one doesn't strike a sleeping man but "kicks his pillow to awaken him before striking." That is a paraphrase of course, since I don't recall the thing exactly. But it is similar in "intent" to the "sleeping giant" part at least. And he apparently said this after he discovered that the strike had happened before war was officially declared.
The "making of" video I saw shows the producer rather sheepishly owning up to the fact that he made it up so the American audience would be left on a high note. It wasn't added "later", but part of the original filming.
