The Great Raid (2005)

Taking place towards the end of WWII, 500 American Soldiers have been entrapped in a camp for 3 years. Beginning to give up hope they will ever be rescued, a group of Rangers goes on a dangerous mission to try and save them.

Director:

John Dahl

Writers:

William B. Breuer (book), Hampton Sides (book)

Stars:

Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Bratt	...	Lt. Colonel Mucci
James Franco	...	Captain Prince
Robert Mammone	...	Captain Fisher
Max Martini	...	1st Sgt. Sid "Top" Wojo
James Carpinello	...	Cpl. Aliteri
Mark Consuelos	...	Cpl. Guttierez
Craig McLachlan	...	2nd Lt. Riley
Freddie Joe Farnsworth	...	2nd Lt. Foley
Laird Macintosh	...	2nd Lt. O'Grady
Jeremy Callaghan	...	Lt. Able
Scott McLean	...	Lt. LeClaire
Paolo Montalban	...	Sgt. Valera
Clayne Crawford	...	PFC Aldrige
Sam Worthington	...	PFC Lucas
Royston Innes	...	Sgt. Adams

Storyline

Set in the Philippines in 1945 towards the end of WWII, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci and Captain Robert Prince, the 6th Ranger Battalion undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. Traveling thirty miles behind enemy lines, they intend to liberate over 500 American Soldiers from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever.

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Plot Keywords:

philippines | rescue mission | japanese army | prisoner of war camp | u.s. army | 

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Taglines:

Two proud races, brothers-in-arms... A daring mission that will earn them the respect and admiration of the entire world.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong war violence and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States] Official DVD site [Germany]

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

Filipino English Tagalog Japanese

Release Date:

12 August 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

El gran rescate

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,376,009, 14 August 2005, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,166,502, 16 October 2005

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,769,311, 15 July 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Marty Katz Productions, Lawrence Bender Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Almost none of the U.S. Army soldiers seen in the film wear the distinctive and famous M1 helmet; the main force depicted onscreen are the 6th Ranger Battalion, who left their helmets behind and wore soft 'Swing caps' for the raid. The reason for this was that the helmets were bulky, heavy, and noisy if struck. They were also known to give a glare, which would give their positions away on such a secretive mission.

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Goofs

When one of Major Nagai's men shoots a prisoner, the prisoner falls of the steps and the radio he was carrying falls in front of him as he falls dead. When Nagai and the man walk up the steps into the guard house, the radio is behind the body and right next to the steps.

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Quotes

Cpl. Aliteri: [about a piece of paper with the Virgin Mary on it] Six bucks.
Cpl. Guttierez: Told you I can't sell it.
Cpl. Aliteri: Ten bucks?
Cpl. Guttierez: I can't do it. It's the only one I got.
Cpl. Aliteri: What do you mean it's the only one you got? You said you had plenty to spare.
Cpl. Guttierez: Lied to you. My mom gave this to me.
Cpl. Guttierez: [Kisses it]
Cpl. Aliteri: Well how does your mom feel about ten bucks?
Cpl. Guttierez: [Almost punches him] Wonder how your mom feels about ten bucks?
Cpl. Aliteri: Hey!

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Crazy Credits

The first part of the end credits are superimposed over actual footage of the American prisoners following their liberation.

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Connections

Referenced in Hannity & Colmes: Episode dated 12 August 2005 (2005)

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Soundtracks

The Marriage Of Figaro
/"Duettino - Sull'aria"
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Deutsche Oper Berlin and Karl Böhm
Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V.
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Solid traditional semi-historical war film

In terms of lasting value, I believe The Great Raid is one of the best films to have graced the screen this year. It's a straightforward war movie about unsung heroes. The story involves the basic facts of a Japanese POW camp which was liberated near the end of the Japanese occupation of the Phillipines. American soldiers and Phillipino resistance fighters teamed up to chance a daring raid on the heavily guarded camp. Fictional elements are added to the story, such as a surprisingly compelling love story, and believable explorations of friendships among both prisoners and fighters.

The script is good, the acting and editing superb, and the photography is very good. The film is violent, but does not wallow in flying guts and body parts as has been the recent fashion. Nothing flashy, nothing overwhelming, just solid craftsmanship. This is a film which is less concerned with making an impression than it is with telling a story, and I found that very refreshing. In my opinion, the film succeeds completely in telling its simple story and will likely be recognized for years to come as one of the better war films of recent times. All of the acting in this film is excellent, but watch for the standout performances from Marton Csokas, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco and Connie Nielsen.