The Great Raid

In January of 1945 a group of 120 men staged the most triumphant
and successful rescue mission in U.S. Military history.
This is their story.

In the epic tradition of Saving Private Ryan and The
Thin Red Line, THE GREAT RAID tells a grand story, inspired
by true events, filled with both drama and plenty of
action.

After Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7,
1941, the US was drawn into World War II. The next year,
after the Battle of Bataan, our forces were in the Philippines
fighting the Japanese. Our men were overwhelmed there,
and 70,000 were taken prisoner. It was the largest American
army in history to surrender (besides the Civil War).
The Japanese led their prisoners on a forced march out
of Bataan. Before the “Bataan Death March"
was over, those who survived would march more than 60
miles through intense heat with almost no water or food.
15,000 men died in the march alone.

The Japanese captors were brutal, abusing their prisoners
in an effort to annihilate these men, who they disrespected
for surrendering. Some are burned alive in group executions,
and others die from the diseases which are running rampant
in the camps.

Five hundred survivors of the march are transferred
to Camp Cabanatuan, and the POWs wait over the next
three years, holding onto the faith that their country
would not abandon them and allow them all to die in
a foreign prison camp.

Some try to escape – and are caught and executed.
Others wait with the unwavering hope that it will end,
and they will see their loved ones again.

This movie takes place over five days in January of
1945, and tells the story of the daring rescue of those
POWs from impending death in the Japanese prison camp,
by a group of men with little or no combat experience.

We get to see three different points of view as the
story progresses - the prisoners rallying all their
strength and fortitude to survive, the Filipino underground
movement smuggling medicine and food into the camp,
and finally the US Army Rangers who attempt the daring
rescue.

The Great Raid showcases true idealistic heroism, making
it a truly moving and satisfying war story.

With great historical accuracy, director John Dahl brings
this great and often forgotten piece of military history
to the screen. With all the war movie staples, but adding
one thing: a strong female lead in the action, the nurse
in the Philippines risking her life by smuggling supplies
in to save the lives of these American GIs.

To bring authenticity to this project, the filmmakers
enlisted the aid of 22 year Marine Corp veteran, Capt.
Dale Dye, as military advisor.

He took all the actors out into the isolated jungle
and conducted intensive training, starting out with
an early morning jog each day for 5-8 miles. With no
showers, not that much sleep, and tactical exercise
drills, these men went from merely being actors, to
being fully competent to portray the real emotions that
these characters felt in the movie.

As an added bonus on the DVD, real WWII veterans recount
the difficult times they personally experienced in the
camp during their prolonged stay.

Starring Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order), James Franco
(Tristan + Isolde), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) and Joseph
Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love).