I see a critique was first posted nearly two years back, but I've just seen 'The Great Raid' depicting the liberation of 511 American POWs from the horrific Cabanatuan camp in the Philippines in January 1945. The parts of the film I found truly interesting were the back stories about the Philippino
resistance movement and the actual operation of capturing the camp and liberating the prisoners - personally I found the 'love interest' (although tastefully done) and some of the speechifying to be contrived padding: more emphasis could have been placed on the planning and on events after the raid as the prisoners were being escorted to safety; they didn't get to Talavera without a little drama on the way...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_at_Cabanatuan

Still, it has inspired me to look for further reading...

Hello,
I was not that impressed with the movie but the book the movie was based on was a excellent read i could not put it down. The book was called Ghost Soldiers, like i said this book is great.
Michael

it seems to me that no book and movie ever match up and so it was with THE GREAT RAID. i wish they could've used an actual p61 in the movie ( which was used to distract the guards ) not to be more authentic, but to show how awestruck the americans were at the sight of this seemingly monstrous aircraft, that for them was more science fiction than technological advancement.

Interesting thread. My Dad was on the raid. I still have some "Things" (Not body parts or such.) that he took off of some expired Japanese guards, at the camp. He knew Capt. Prince, and Capt. Pahota personally, plus a few others. Some pretty horrific stories were told by him to me after I was in the Marines. Sadly my Dad passed in 1999.

Hi Michael,
I too read the book "Ghost Soldiers" and throughly enjoyed it. I then saw the movie and I think "Hollywood" did an o.k. job of it. Seldom does a movie do justice to a book in my mind, but I am glad they did it. I am also surpised that this story took so long to bring to book and movie! I seem to remember it being mentioned in history books, but not being highlighted very much. The best part of the movie was the very end when they were showing the credits and had the archival footage - the POWs and their return to the U.S.. I love that - it pays tribute to them and puts a read face to those men (and the pretty nurses).
At one point after their return, that young soldier was being hugged by someone (maybe his mother?) - that said it all for me.....

I saw it on DVD and thought that it was okay, not up to the standards of say Band of Brothers or Letters from Iwo Jima, and certainly not as good as the book. My Trig teacher in HS was in Cabanatuan (he was moved before the raid) and his stories of his imprisonment are truly horrific. Perhaps this movie will shine a little light on the sacrifices of the PoWs and the men who saved them, as well as the Gallant efforts of the Filipino people.

John

I'll second that, A great Book.

Just don't fall asleep on the crapper or you could get left.......(wait for it).....Behind.

ah Thank you.