Alice Shane Ortiz

July 19, 2015

BSECE
REFLECTION PAPER

Never in our history such a large group of men injured so much and complain so
little. Many were unable to shake to believe that their country had abandoned them, left
them to die in a form land. Whose said to be who have no significance to the war
afterward but there for me, saving them is a way setting things right. Its true; they have
been left behind but never forgotten.- Captain Robert Prince.
It is true, after the Death March, they had been imprisoned for over three years.
Many began to feel that their country had left them behind. They had experienced
suffering, starvation, death, and torture in the hands of the Japanese. But in the end, it
was American soldiers, risking their own lives, who saved them.
This movie helps us to widen our perspective and knowledge about the past
events that happened during the raid on Cabanatuan. It also helps us to understand the
true essence of what the movie was trying to deliver and to inculcate in our minds. The
movie does not only provide specific history lessons but it also allows us to evaluate
ourselves in every situation that they encounter in that movie. Thus, I can say that the
movie entitled The Great Raid is very helpful to us in opening our eyes about the true
events of what American and Filipino Guerrillas fought on Cabanatuan.
The movie starts slowly, and can be difficult to follow at times, but taken as a
whole, the story holds together beautifully, and really takes you through the full range of
emotions. Bratt and Franco give excellent performances as the colourful Mucci and the
tough-as-nails Prince. Connie Nielsen is very good as Margaret Utinsky, a nurse who
stayed behind in Manila after its fall to the Japanese. She smuggled much-needed
medical supplies to the prisoners, risking her own life in the process.
Truly, I enjoyed and appreciated this movie because of its honest portrayal of the
gruesome realities of war. It is historically accurate, very well cast, sticks pretty well to
the story line, great filming - especially of the country side and the actual raid and the
acting is excellent from start to finish. From this movie, I have realised that war is very
straightforward and people suffer and get killed. People do not stand up and utter lines
of grandeur for the purpose of gaining an Oscar. They do what is necessary to survive
and help others survive. Moreover, I have realised that if one firmly believes on

something, that person is not afraid to die fighting for what he or she believes. This is
depicted by the soldiers who fought bravely in the movie on which they had been
fearless and are willing to sacrifice their lives in defending their country, in fighting what
they believed in.
It is an excellent movie with an intriguing story and great heroes. I take my hat off
to all the men and women who fought and served in the Pacific during WWII. I like the
fact that real Filipino actors were used in the movie, which brought out a more authentic
reality in the film. I also appreciate the fact that the director recognized the courage of
the Filipino guerrillas and the U.S Army 6th Ranger Battalion together. All of the actors
did a tremendous job, Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Connie Neilsen and Jospeh
Fiennes along with Capt. Dale Dye. Well made, with true authentic military actions.
Highly recommended one of the top War movies made.
Overall, THE GREAT RAID is a highly recommended film. It is not like any other
war film that has been released pertaining to World War II. This is a film that stands by
itself due to the particular event, the place, the people, and the respect that it gives to
the Rangers, POWs, and Philippine people who lived, fought, and survived this conflict
in World War II history.