The Great Raid Movie

Directed by
John Dahl

Writing credits
(WGA)
William B. Breuer (book "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan")
Hampton Sides (book "Ghost Soldiers") (additional material)
Carlo Bernard (screenplay)
Doug Miro (screenplay)

Release Date:
12 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:
Action | Drama | War

Cast :
Actor Role
Benjamin Bratt Lt. Col. Henry Mucci
James Franco Capt. Robert Prince
Robert Mammone Capt. Fisher
Max Martini 1st Sgt. Sid "Top" Wojo
James Carpinello Cpl. Aliteri
Mark Consuelos Cpl. Guttierez
Craig McLachlan Lt. Riley
Freddie Joe Farnsworth Lt. Foley
Laird Macintosh Lt. O'Grady
Jeremy Callaghan Lt. Able
Paolo Montalbán Sgt. Valera
Clayne Crawford Pfc. Alridge
Sam Worthington Pfc. Lucas
Royston Innes Sgt. Adams
Dale Dye Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger
Brett Tucker Maj. Robert Lapham
Joseph Fiennes Maj. Gibson
Marton Csokas Capt. Redding
Connie Nielsen Margaret Utinsky
Natalie Mendoza Mina
Eugenia Yuan Cora
Cesar Montano Capt. Juan Pajota
Richard Joson Capt. Eduardo Joson

Original Sound Track :
1. Resuce, The
2. Liberate Food
3. Execute
4. Raid Begins
5. Writing Letters
6. Rangers Start
7. Campsite
8. Great Raid, The
9. Burning Bodies
10. Stealign Medicine
11. Future, The
12. Stalking
13. Closing Titles
( source : http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6921900/a/Great+Raid.htm )

Plot / Synopsis :
The Great Raid is based on actual events and is adapted from William B. Breuer's book of the same name.

In the winter of 1944, World War II was coming to a close. The Japanese held some of the American prisoners who had survived the Bataan Death March in a notorious prisoner-of-war camp at Cabanatuan and subjected them to harsh treatment; many prisoners were also stricken with malaria. At the time of the raid the camp held about five hundred prisoners.

The film opens with the massacre of prisoners of war on Palawan by the Kempeitai, the Imperial Japanese military's secret police.

Meanwhile at Lingayen Gulf, the 6th Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col Mucci is ordered by Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger to liberate all of the POWs at Cabanatuan prison camp before they are killed by the Japanese. The film chronicles the efforts and heroism of the Rangers, Alamo Scouts from the 6th Army and Filipino guerrillas as they undertake the raid at Cabanatuan.

Throughout the film the viewpoint switches between the POWs at Cabanatuan, the Rangers, the Filipino resistance and the Japanese.

In particular, the film covers the resistance work undertaken by American-born but Canadian-raised nurse Margaret Utinsky who smuggled medicine into the POW camps. Suspected of helping prisoners, the Kempeitai arrested her and sent her to Fort Santiago prison. Eventually she was released. Utinsky spent six weeks recovering from gangrene as a result of injuries sustained from beatings. Once recovered, she escaped to Bataan where she served as a nurse with the Philippine Commonwealth troops and recognized guerrilla forces until liberation in February 1945.

Pictures :