When the songbird sings

I saw “The Great Raid” today as I finally convinced the honey to watch it with me.

The film, as everybody knows by now, chronicles the raid on the biggest prisoner of war (POW) camp in the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation, Cabanatuan POW Camp. It is nearly faithful to the historical accounts which I have read so far about the raid, except perhaps for the sub-plot involving Margaret Utinsky, an American woman posing as a Lithuanian nurse, and a POW in Cabanatuan, Daniel Gibson. That part, I have to consult my friend, Fred Baldassarre of the Battling Bastards of Bataan.

Similar to the book I have read about the raid (but upon which the film was not based), Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides, the film recounts the events that led to the eventual occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese Imperial Army, the surrender of Bataan after months of battle and the deadly Bataan Death March where thousands of Allied soldiers (not only Filipinos and Americans were involved in the battle, but also British, Canadians, etc.) perished during the 60-mile trek from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac. But the story begins with the mass murder of 150 POWs at a camp in Palawan days before the liberation of Cabanatuan POWs. All POWs must be annihilated as part of the plan of the Japanese Imperial Army to cover up its inhuman treatment of POWs. It was under this premise that the raid was executed and the film developed.

The US Army’s 6th Ranger Battalion under Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) must rescue the remaining 500 prisoners of war in Cabanatuan, or they would either be killed by the Japanese under the kill-all policy or die in the eventual cross-fire that would occur in a week during the re-capture of Luzon by American forces. Only one thing worked to the rangers’ advantage: the element of surprise. And even with a carefully crafted plan, the raid could still fail due to lack of information about the camp and its environs. Fortunately, the rangers met the guerilla group of Capts. Juan Pajota and Eduardo Joson on their way to Cabanatuan. The Filipino guerillas provided nearly all information about the camp necessary for staging the raid and were pivotal in preventing the thousands of Japanese foot soldiers from reaching the camp during the battle. Moreover, Pajota’s plan to move the sick POWs by carabao-driven carts proved helpful as many of the prisoners were too weak to walk, much less travel for miles on foot. (The books even recounts that the respect that local villagers accorded to Pajota also ensured the safety of the soldiers and the secrecy of the plan.)

The film nearly stayed true to the historical accounts of the rescue. It can be further appreciated by people who have read either of the books that told the its story. However, as some have already observed, it was dragging on some parts. Those dragging bits of the film could have been rendered better, but due perhaps to the lack of depth in acting (except for Cesar Montano as Juan Pajota, yay! Good Pinoy actor.) by its lead stars, some lines were not delivered in a way that would have touched the emotions of the viewers while neither sacrificing historical accuracy nor pretending to be too sugar-coated. Nothing about war and atrocity is sweet anyway, even those suffered by star-crossed lovers. As perhaps started by the “Titanic” formula of placing star-crossed lovers at the center of the story to signify loss and sacrifice, the filmmakers placed the characters Daniel Gibson (Joseph Fiennes) and Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen) on the spotlight. Gibson represented the agonies that the POWs suffered at Cabanatuan: malaria, hunger, torture by Japanese guards, while Utinsky embodied the courage of underground supporters of guerillas and protectors of prisoners. Why the local population still did not warm up to the Japanese was explained by the cruelly they were treated by the Imperial Army. This was a generation that did not witness the Filipino-American war right after Spain handed over its rule of the Islands to the US. As most of today’s elders explain, the years under American rule were always regarded as “Peace Time”.

As a Pinoy, I am pleased with the way the film emphasised the participation of Pinoy guerrilas in the effort to liberate POWs and the risks that they took to help others. Entire villagers were pillaged, their men burned alive because the locals helped the guerillas. I couldn’t help either but feel shame for those who took advantage of those who needed help. Watch “The Great Raid” for your education and appreciation of history. Note: It is way better than “Pearl Harbor”. Thank God, Ben Affleck was notin it.

Recommended links:

Cabanatuan Raid account
Actual Cabanatuan Raid Photos
Battling Bastards of Bataan
Official “The Great Raid” website