THE GREAT RAID - "Ted Kennedy, that is torture; you shut the hell up!" yelled in theatre

dfu | 8-27-05 | dfu

[doug from upland]

"The Great Raid" was a very enjoyable, stirring, and patriotic movie about heroic Americans and Filipinos in WW II. It was the most successful raid of prisoners in our history.

Some idiot at the end of the movie yelled out in the movie theatre -- "That's torture, Ted Kennedy; you shut the hell up!" Yes, that idiot would, of course, be yours truly. No wonder Mrs. DFU usually wants to avoid going to movie theatres with me and would rather rent them. I can't blame her. And during the last presidential campaign, she cringed when I demanded that the waitress remove the Heinz Ketchup and replace it with a bottle of W Ketchup. And let's not forget that she didn't want to ride in my car with all the magnetic stickers. Other than that, we get along wonderfully. Well, almost. She has warned me that if I am ever arrested at a FReep, she won't bail me out.

SEE THE TRAILER

From director John Dahl comes the stirring true story of one of the most spectacular rescue missions ever to take place in American history: "the great raid on Cabanatuan," the daring exploit that would liberate more than 500 U.S. Prisoners of War in the face of overwhelming odds. A gripping depiction of human resilience, the film vividly brings to life the personal courage and audacious heroism that allowed a small but stoic band of World War II soldiers to attempt the impossible in the hopes of freeing their captured brothers.

Once a tale shared across the United States, the long-lost story of THE GREAT RAID has been recreated with meticulous authenticity to pay testimony to the many different people, from U.S. commanders to Filipino soldiers to women aid workers to the POWs themselves, who played a part in turning this time of intense hardship and unrelenting danger into a moment of inspiration.

[Bear_Slayer]

Just saw it on DVD. I really thought it was an excellent movie.

Well done, with a great juxtaposition of Honor vs Dishonor and Justice vs. Mercy.

I still have the DVD here, I might watch it again today.

[Bear_Slayer]

But what do I know? I thought Mel Gibson unforgivably botched the end of We Were Soldiers

How so? I loved the movie, but don't know the history behind it. Could you explain?

Thanks.

[U S Army EOD]

The great charge right toward the end. The main problem I had with the book and the movie was little mention at all of LT Miram. He was the only Medal of Honor winner that day. He came by North Georgia College while he was at the Mountain Ranger camp and talked to us. A year later, the poor guy looked and acted like he was still in shock.

[U S Army EOD]

When they met at the memorial, you could see the emotion between them. I wonder why that movie never made it to the theaters, probably it told the truth to much.

[wtc911]

I don't think I used the word "felon". As I said, you are on some crusade which is fine but there's a time and a place for everything, including non-spontaneous political outbursts that accomplish nothing.

[wildwood]

bawk, bawk:>

[U S Army EOD]

Well if you don't want to read about and adventure with Frito, Goodgulf, Moxie, and Pepsi, it is your lost. You had your chance.

[wildwood]

well, yeah, i had my chance. i have always loved tolkien and can't STAND to see him parodied...he and c.s. lewis are my literary and spiritual HEROES (particularly lewis)...don't get me wrong...i enjoy a good joke as much as anyone, but i just don't want the the unlikely hero of frodo or the strength and wisdom of gandalf mocked...can't stand it...

thanks for the tip though:>

[U S Army EOD]

Awwww, try in anyway, it won't hurt a bit, I promise.



PS: The checks in the mail.

[billnaz]

You're right. The folks who made "The Great Raid" came as close as they could to history.

Before I went to see the movie I got out my copy of Shelby Stanton's World War II Order of Battle book. The table of organization and equipment of a World War II Ranger battalion showed that no M1 carbines were assigned to it. The Rangers carried Thompsons, Garands, BARs, and 2.36" rocket launchers. The 6th Rangers had Browning .30 cal. machine guns assigned, but I don't believe they used any on the raid, since they had to travel light and move fast. I'm guessing that Col. Mucci borrowed an '03 from one of the Filipino guerrillas.

I saw only one or two M1 carbines in the entire movie, and those might have been carried by Alamo Scouts. So the moviemakers got the weapons right (for a change).

This old tanker agrees that Rangers lead the way.

[Timmy]

Okay, I just have to post again. I have not read either of the books the film was based on and I can still tell you what's wrong with your critique. The movie was a dramatization, not a documentary. Filmmakers make choices in presenting a historical subject. In the movie Patton the general is shown saying things at different times and places than he really made them, and there were actually two, not one soldiers he slapped. But does that detract from the film? Not really, since it showed the man and his achievements in their proper light.

But this is HISTORY. What you're saying is that Oliver Stone did nothing wrong with his "JFK" or "Alexander." Someone compared this to LOTR, but LOTR is fiction. A lot of people, and most kids, get all their history from the movies. I agree the ending with the film footage was terrific, only two people out of about 150 left before that ended. But history is history.

As far as the women go, there WAS a woman at the center of the underground. Her name was Claire Phillips (nicknamed "Highpockets") and she took great risks for the prisoners and was ultimately captured and tortured by the Japanese. Why not stick to THAT story? Sorry. Historical fiction is OK by me, but not fictional history. The movie was OK but could have been much better.

[Timmy]

How so? I loved the movie, but don't know the history behind it. Could you explain?

The battle of Ia Drang was actually TWO battles. I haven't read the book in a while, but after they get mauled in the first great fight, the soldiers are marching to their pickup area when they get attacked again. What was wrong with the ending in the movie was that there was no final victory over the North Vietnamese army they faced that day. It was a bit of a stalemate, although we clearly gave more than we got. The big heroic charge into the VN headquarters simply did not happen. I'm looking around here for the book to give you a better answer, but I can't find it amongst the hundreds on the bookshelves. Homeschoolers, you know.

Anyway, I believe there are a couple of Freepers who were at Ia Drang. I don't remember which ones. Maybe Aloha Ronnie? Not sure.

[Timmy]

I'm guessing that Col. Mucci borrowed an '03 from one of the Filipino guerrillas.

This is another fiction in the movie. Mucci never fired a shot, and certainly never went near the bridge where Captain Pajota and his Filipino guerrillas made their great stand. It's believe they killed over 500 Japanese at that bridge.

[in the Arena]

You're an idiot...my kind of idiot :O)

[billnaz]

"This is another fiction in the movie. Mucci never fired a shot, and certainly never went near the bridge where Captain Pajota and his Filipino guerrillas made their great stand. It's believe they killed over 500 Japanese at that bridge."

The screenwriters probably felt that their lead actor had to squeeze off a few rounds to reinforce his warrior status. I'm sure Col. Mucci was a great officer, and by all accounts his men respected him, but it seems like Captain Prince could have led the mission by himself without the battalion commander looking over his shoulder. Just an old soldier's humble opinion.

[SoCal Pubbie]

No, I did not say what Oliver Stone did was okay. In fact, Oliver Stone is one of the few people in Hollywood I personally boycott. He manipulates facts to try and show a different outcome to a historical incident. The makers of the Great Raid changed no more, and probably less, than what they did back in the day with films like Thirty Seconds over Tokyo or Charge of the Light Brigade.

The movie theater is not a history classroom. The Great Raid was an excellent film and perhaps the last of its kind, since it didn't do well. Expect more movies like Platoon and Three Kings, since I guess people won't support a film that shows the U.S. military in a good light.

[Timmy]

The movie theater is not a history classroom. The Great Raid was an excellent film and perhaps the last of its kind, since it didn't do well. Expect more movies like Platoon and Three Kings, since I guess people won't support a film that shows the U.S. military in a good light.

Sorry, but the reason The Great Raid didn't do well is because it's not a very good movie. Even reviews by conservatives pointed that out. It is very boring until the end, the love story doesn't work, and there is scant character development. The subject (the rescue) is outstanding. The movie doesn't do it justice.

BTW, We Were Soldiers did quite well.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Hey get her involved in FR and that problem is solved.

Just ask my hubby,I won't leave my computer on my days off.LOL

[SoCal Pubbie]

Medved loved it. So did I. Your earlier posts only spoke of historical inaccuracies. Now you disparage the drama. Hmmm. what to think?

[daybreakcoming]

I'm glad you shared that story told to you by your father. Those who still have living WW2 veteran fathers should draw more of these stories out so they will live on. My father told me some but belatedly I wish I had written it down.