Posted on 12/19/2005 10:08:13 PM PST by Liberty Valance
The Great Raid It's a movie about courage and freedom and every American should see it.
The Great Raid is in theaters now (Aug. 05), though it may not be for long unless movie-going America quickly realizes that there is a wonderful and inspiring film in its midst, one that celebrates courage, sacrifice and endurance, and which unabashedly proclaims that hope (plus superior firepower and tactical surprise) can conquer all. It is a movie which deserves a vast and appreciative audience.
It is 1945, and Douglas MacArthur has returned to the Philippines. More than 500 American survivors of the Bataan Death March languish at the Cabanatuan prison camp, and the Japanese plan to exterminate them, rather than allow them to survive and bear witness to Japanese war crimes. The men of America's untested 6th Army Ranger Battalion set out to save these prisoners. This exceptional movie tells the stories of the warriors who went to save the captives, the prisoners who endured unspeakable cruelty, and the Filipino resistance that came to the aid of both.
The Great Raid has received favorable reviews from esteemed and honest critics such as Michael Medved and Roger Ebert. But the bulk of the high-brow reviewers have rejected the movie. The New York Times's Stephen Holden represented the caucus of the dismissive when he wrote that "it is not the actors' fault that their characters fail to establish any emotional connection; they aren't given the words for the task." Holden damned the film as "a tedious World War II epic that slogs across the screen like a forced march in quicksand."
To praise The Great Raid is to praise America, and that's too much to ask of many film critics, especially in this era of the global war against terror
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
I absolutely loved the film. At the end, they have great footage from the archives.
I can't wait to see it Doug.
"Any Freeper reviews out there?"
Excellent film. Highly recommend it.
The History channel ran two hours on the Raid today. The first was an exploration of the authenticity of the movie. They concluded that, except for embellishments people would expect, that the story was true to history.
The second was a description of the raid, itself. They interviewed Rangers involved, prisoners involved, and even Philippine rebels who had helped.
Both hours were great. I recorded the second hour for my father-in-law. His brother was one of the soldiers who survived the death march. I will try to record the first hour if it is repeated.
I saw this movie in the theater with my father. He says he knew one of the Rangers who wen on that raid.
I saw this movie in the theater with my father. He says he knew one of the Rangers who went on that raid.
An excellent, involving movie, one of the very best of the year, in spite of one of the subplots (the Manila stuff) not working at all.
When the raid comes together at the end, it's very powerful and emotional.
Bump for The Great Raid
Another bump.
I finally got the DVD and watched it tonight.
What a fabulous movie.
It underscores the utter depravity of the Hollywood leftists that this film was not even nominated for the oscars.
A must see for all Freepers.
This sounds like a DVD that's actually worth purchasing, and I only have about 15 in my collection.
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