The Great Raid, starring Benjamin Bratt and James Franco is the gripping tale of the raid to liberate some 500 POWs held in a Japanese prison camp on the Bataan peninsula. These POWs were survivors of the Bataan Death March after the surrender of the Philippines at the beginning of World War II.
The film opens with images of the fall of the Philippines, and a monologue filling in the background that lead up to the events of the actual raid, including the brutal murder of prisoners at another POW camp.
The story is based on actual events covering a five day period at the end of January, 1945. elements of the 6th Ranger Battalion performed this raid, and were supported by Philippine guerrillas.
These Army Rangers are in a race against time, with the Japanese controlling the time table, as they move through the Philippine jungles towards the prison camping, praying that they will be in time to save their fellow comrades in arms from sharing the same fate as the POWs at other prison camps.
The film revolves not only around the company of Rangers tasked with the rescue mission, but shows details of life in the prison camp in those final days, and of the Philippine underground.
If you thought Saving Private Ryan was a great film, then you should see The Great Raid.
