Q&A · 3:02:22-3:02:52

Which film portrays Kimmel best?

An older Pearl Harbor film receives limited credit, although screen portrayals generally miss Kimmel's forceful personality and constrained choices.

Question

Who gave the best film portrayal of Admiral Kimmel?

Short answer

No portrayal is fully convincing; an older Pearl Harbor film gets the most credit, but films have generally missed the real man.

Notes

No film portrayal of Kimmel receives a confident endorsement. An older Pearl Harbor movie gets the most credit, but only in relative terms. Screen versions tend not to show the man reconstructed from the professional record. Kimmel was no shrinking violet and worked hard with the resources available, making passive or simply culpable portrayals misleading.