‘The Great Raid’ gets good reviews

WASHINGTON — It didn’t have the glamour or sex appeal of Hollywood, but the Washington premier of "The Great Raid" had the draw of political superstars US Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, a glittering array of Pentagon top brass and — for Filipino viewers, at least — their very own Cesar Montano.

Set in the Philippines in 1945, "The Great Raid" tells the true story of the 6th Ranger Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Mucci, played in the movie by Benjamin Bratt, which undertakes a daring rescue mission to liberate over 500 Americans held at the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the northern Philippine province of Nueva Ecija.

"The Great Raid." based on the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" by military historian William Breuer and "Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides, tells the story of what has come to be known as one of the most spectacular rescue missions ever to take place in American history.

The subtext of the story is the heroism, bravery and daring shown by Filipino guerrillas, without whose help the mission would not have been possible or, at the least, would have cost more lives. 

The movie is a poignant and strong reminder of the sacrifices made by Filipino soldiers and guerrillas in the enemy-occupied Philippines to honor their government’s friendship and alliance with the United States in the second world war.

"Great movie," Mrs. Clinton told The STAR on her way out of the theater. "I hope it creates sympathy for Filipino veterans who are still fighting for their benefits."

"We’ve been working hard for them and will continue doing so until they get what they deserve," she said. 

The issue of US pensions for about 18,000 surviving veterans residing in the Philippines has been dragging on for over five decades, and there is concern that any pensions, if legislated now, may be too late for them.

Filipino actor Cesar Montaño who played the role of guerrilla leader Capt. Juan Pajota, said the movie was a powerful and sincere portrayal of the hardships Filipino and American soldiers endured during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

He said he enjoyed working with Bratt, who called him "my brother." Montaño also bared plans of moving to Los Angeles soon to pursue his film career in the US.

Political power brokers, diplomats, soldiers, disabled war veterans and members of the Filipino-American community gave the film rave reviews, as did Clinton, a Democrat, and McCain, a Republican. 

Clinton and McCain are expected to come out as presidential candidates in the 2008 elections and they are leading members of the US Senate committee on armed services.

Army chief Gen. Peter Schoomaker said that with US troops operating in Afghanistan and Iraq, the film was an inspiring and timely reminder that America does not leave any of its soldiers behind. 

Disabled US war veterans who fought in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq — and a few who saw battle in World War II including George Douglas Idlett, one of the prisoners at the Cabanatuan POW camp — clapped and hollered as the great raid in Cabanatuan came to a successful conclusion.

Idlett, now in his eighties, said the movie was pretty authentic though, of course, some scenes were over-dramatized for effect.

Others dignitaries who attended the premier Thursday were US army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, the second highest ranking Filipino-American officer in the US military, who rose to national prominence when he exposed the sadistic and wanton criminal abuses of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Philippine ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario.

Del Rosario said the movie is a reminder that the Filipino-American friendship was "forged in a crucible of fire, where common sacrifice and conviction fused to create a strong and democratic alliance."

He urged the Bush administration to help Filipino veterans regain their rightful status and benefits for their faithful service to the United States during the War in the Pacific, one of the bloodiest battlefronts in World War II.

"We owe it to them," Del Rosario said.

The film will be shown in US theaters on Aug. 12 and only then will movie grosses show how it resonates with the general public here. 

But, if the reaction of those who saw the premiere is anything to go by, "The Great Raid" should make a respectable showing at the box office.