A Pinoy Blog About Nothing

The Great Raid isn’t a spectacular movie. By today’s standards its opening weekend is considered a flop. But what makes it enjoyable to watch were a) the performances by the actors were believable, maybe except for one over-the-top wince-inducing Pinay stereotype b) the Filipino guerrillas got portrayed as able fighters not some ragtag boys playing soldiers who needed to be rescued by the ‘Kanos like in the old Hollywood movies, c) the production design was top-notch.

There was one scene which, to us, was worth the price of ticket and marked the movie for future DVD purchase. It was that short scene of a cgi-ed Manila (actually it was more of the Escolta/Binondo area) in its former glory — complete with a functional replica of a Meralco tramvia — before the bombs rendered the old Manila to rubble and forever earning the distinction of being second only to Warsaw in devastation after WWII. It was heart breaking to see what was ‘the Pearl of the Orient’ , what could’ve been and the millions of stories yet untold in pre-WWII Manila. Too bad the scenes of Manila were done in the Shanghai Film Studios in China.

Pre-war Divisoria according to Philippine Photographs Digital Archive.

The Great Raid is the retelling of the Great Raid of Cabanatuan, the most successful rescue mission by the US military in history. 512 POWs were liberated, four Americans died, and 20 Filipino guerrillas were wounded. It was estimated that 523 Japanese troops were killed or wounded. The movie is based on the books “Ghost Soldiers” by Hampton Sides and “The Great Raid on Cabanatuan” by William B. Breuer.

Benjamin “Forget Catwoman” Bratt and James “Green Goblin’s Son” Franco play Major Lt. Colonel Mucci and Captain Prince respectively. They were asked to undertake the task of rescuing the POWs in a nearby camp despite the mission having “no strategic importance”. Unknown to the Americans at that time, the Japanese had standing orders to execute all the prisoners in their camps. A gaunt Joseph Fiennes plays Major Gibson, the highest ranking officer in the POW camp. His task was to nurture the hope that one day the camp will be liberated. Of course, this being a movie and not a documentary they had to play up some romantic interest: Connie Nielsen plays American nurse Margaret Utinsky who pines for Major Gibson.

Of course the problem with historical dramas like these is that you already know how it turns out in the end. Director John Dahl decides to focus on the story leading up to the raid: on the men who were leading it, the stories of the POWs, and the persecution of the underground movement by the Japanese. The attack sequence itself is your typical Hollywood fare. Dahl instead plays up a different kind of tension: we know they make it in the end but would it come off without a hitch? Who fouls up? Who gets killed? Who makes it in the end?

Aside from Bratt and Franco, Dahl decides not to focus on the other characters of the raiding team. We’re offered vignettes of the young soldiers but in the end we didn’t care for them because the audience weren’t given much to like them.

Much hype was given of course to actor Cesar Montano being in his “Hollywood Debut”. Mindless faux pas like these notwithstanding, Montano comes off as a believable guerrilla leader, Capt. Juan Pajota. He did manage to do well on screen and not be eclipsed by the performances of Bratt and Franco. Even movie eminent critic Roger Ebert raves about Montano’s performance:

The Filipinos are led by Capt. Juan Pajota (Cesar Montano), a forcible local actor who steps into the Hollywood cast and adds to its authenticity and sense of mission.

I just hope people don’t start calling Montano the next FPJ or something. FPJ made his name by ambushing a truckload of Japanese without reloading his tommy gun. God forbid he tries to capitalize on his on screen image and go into politics.

Quick someone make a movie of Capt. Juan Pajota before he gets forgotten again.

Perennial Pinoy movie heavies Rez Cortez and Bembol Roco was supposed to be in there but I must’ve blinked. Natalie Mendoza, who plays Mina an underground cohort to nurse Utinsky, looked good on screen. However, her accent of a Filipino native trying to speak English was just annoying. It was too much. One more “Pah Der” (for father) and I would’ve thrown a shoe at the screen. It sounded forced. Montano got it correctly for his character.

The movie gets unfairly compared to Saving Private Ryan or The Bridge on the River Kwai. While The Great Raid isn’t perfect, Dahl honors the memory of were in the actual event. It’s a nicely put together film worthy of a second viewing.

Other impressions of the movie.