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"The Great Raid"
Benjamin Bratt.
James Franco. War/Romance.
Synopsis: A
squad of American soldiers is charged with rescuing 500 prisoners
of war held in a Japanese POW camp on a Philippine island.
Review: Really
good. Better than a number of critics have rated it. Even
though the main plotline (which is historically accurate) is mapped
out well in advance - America is done in Europe and is coming back
to the Pacific to finish this war - there are three plots that are
intertwined nicely.
The first (and a true
account) revolves around Lt. Colonel Henry Mucci (Bratt) and Captain
Prince (Franco) planning a raid of the prisoner camp at Cabanatuan.
It is imperative that the prisoners be rescued before their Japanese
captors suspect the American troops’ presence, or the prisoners
will be killed.
The second concerns the
American prisoners of war hanging on until they are rescued or the
war ends. The highest-ranking soldier in the camp, Major Gibson
(Joseph Fiennes), is near death, a victim of malaria. He is trying
desperately to keep his men from trying to escape - he believes
the rumors that American troops are advancing toward their position.
The third is a story
of unrequited/unacknowledged love between Major Gibson and Margaret
(Connie Nielsen), a nurse who is working with the Manila Underground
to smuggle medicine into the prisoners’ camp.
This is an interesting
movie and relatively less bloody than most war movies. It is also
very intriguing to see the Filipino soldiers given credit for their
involvement. At one point, Lt. Colonel Mucci meets with the leader
of the Filipino troops to "eat some crow" for underestimating
their abilities.
Bratt shouldn’t
be given top billing here. Aside from his issuance of some cheesy
pep speeches about valor, the heavy lifting is done by his captain
(Franco).
OVERALL
GRADE: B
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