Moviegoers may think history is repeating itself this weekend. The summer's most anticipated film, Pearl Harbor, which has opened recently, painstakingly recreates the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II. But that isn't the film's only reminder of the past. Harbor invites comparison to Titanic, the biggest hit of ail time. Like Titanic, Harbor heaps romance and action around a major historical event. Like Titanic, Harbor attempts to create popular global entertainment from a deadly real life. Like Titanic, Harbor costs a pretty penny and hopes to get in even more at the box office. Both Titanic and Pearl Harbor unseal their tales of love and tragedy over more than three hours. Both stories center on young passion, triangles of tension with one woman and two men: In Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio and Billy Zane compete for the love of the same woman, a high society type played by a British actress named Kate (Winslet). In Harbor, two pilots (Ben Affelck, Josh Hartnett) fall for the same woman, a nurse played by a British actress named Kate (Beckinsale). The scenes of peril also have similarities. Harbor has a shot in which soldiers cling for dear life as the battleship USS Oklahoma capsizes. The moment is recalled of the Titanic's climactic sinking scene in which DiCaprio and Winslet hang from the ocean liner as half of the ship vertically plunges into the water. In Harbor, one of its stars floats atop a piece of debris in the middle of the night, much like Winslet's character does in Titanic. And the jaw dropping action of Titanic is matched by Harbor's 40 minute recreation of Dec. 7,1941 attack on the United States' Pacific Fleet. Both films spent heavily on special effects. Harbor director, Michael Bay, for example, says.he kept salaries down so more could be spent on the visuals. Both movies shot their ship sinking scenes at the same location: Fox Studios Baja in Mexico. Harbor's makers have even taken a Titanic-like approach to the soundtrack. The film includes one song, There You'll Be, performed by country music superstar Faith Hill. Titanic, which is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, also had only one pop song: Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. 'If Harbor becomes a major moneymaker, filmmakers may comb history books searching for even more historical romance action material,' says a critic. What are the two things that the author of this article tries 'to compare?