A poetic documentary depicting war from the soldier’s eye view, This is Korea! eschews typical documentary strategies in favor of a “you are there” veracity and an insistent refusal to glorify or gloss over the hard facts of war. Ford focuses instead on the foot soldiers experiences and fears and their weary, stubborn persistence.

Co-directed with famed cinematographer Gregg Toland, December 7th was made for the O.S.S. to document the aftermath and potential causes of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film uses staged footage of the battle combined with documentary images of the islands to create a devastating account of the attack. Voiceovers of dead soldiers underscore their unity as Americans and, inevitably in a war film, the Navy’s – and the nation’s – ability to bounce back.