Bataan (1943)

Best movie of this year hands down!

the audience applauded

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

i have a collection of war movies and last week i came across BATAAN and omg i don't want to badly judge the film....but it didn't completely amazed me. the dialogue was infantile.....Robert Taylor was wooden except for the very last of the movie. its rare that in a film i feel don't feel sympathy and sadness for a character.....in BATAAN...just didn't have feelings for any of them. the cinematography is fair but was was all this fog about and the rocks and boulders in some scenes seemed like they were chisel-ed and meticulously placed on right spot. Na i hate criticizing a war film but this one didn't capture my heart. still a 7 is not bad for......Robert walker writing to his mom....Desi arnaz overjoyed to hear tommy Dorsey and first scene of Japanese attack. I'm relieved though.......my favourite film SO PROUDLY WE HAIL 1943.......got more stars. oh i forgot good actor thomas mitchell not a role for him at all.

this WWII movie wasn't what i would call spectacular,but it was decent enough as war movies go.it's about as subtle a being hit over the head with a sledge hammer.this movie aims high on entertainment value,but low on realism.still,it's got its effective moments,and there's nary a dull moment.the acting is not the greatest as far as war movies go,but it is serviceable.unfortunately it didn't really linger with me,like some movies do.so in that sense,it's fairly forgettable.on the other hand,it wasn't a complete bomb either,as i sat thorough it no problem.i likely wouldn't watch it again anytime soon though.for me,Bataan is a 5/10

This well-acted, tough World War II propaganda movie is an excellent example of the MGM style: Solid production values, some good acting...and a tendency to hit the message out of the ball park, and then hit it out again. And again. The story of a small group of soldiers fighting and dying to buy time for MacArthur to regroup around Bataan was, I suspect, a powerful movie when it came out in 1943. Now, it's a curious mixture of Hollywood theatrics mixed with some genuinely moving moments. At nearly two hours, it also goes on too long. For those who may believe that brave men can survive in propaganda war movies, read no further. It's early 1942 in the Philippines and Sergeant Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) with a mixed bag of semi-volunteers are given the assignment of blowing up a bridge which would otherwise be a primary crossing point for the invading Japanese army as it races south. They must also set up a defensive position across the chasm to keep the Japanese from rebuilding. Dane is a competent, no-nonsense Army lifer. The only other regular Army men he has is Corporal Jake Finegold (Thomas Mitchell), a wise old hand and long-time friend, and Corporal Barney Todd (Lloyd Nolan), a cynic who may have a history with Dane. The other ten men include an enthusiastic Navy corpsman, an engineer, an air force pilot, a medic and a supply corporal. The story line is simple. As we learn about these men and their histories, the Japanese pick them off one by one. And as they die, the dedication of the remaining men only grows stronger. We're left with the image of a row of graves barely visible as ground fog sweeps among them, with the rifles of the dead men thrust into the ground as headstone markers. Then the movement of Japanese soldiers creeping in for the final attack...with Sergeant Dane, exhausted and wounded, the last remaining man, rising to his feet, clutching his machine gun and blazing away at the charging enemy. "Come on, suckers," he screams, "come and get it! We're still here! We'll always be here!"The cast is small and gets smaller. Demographically, it matches Hollywood's idea of America. There's an Hispanic, a black, a Jew, a misfit, a young kid, a Philippine scout, a...well, you get the idea. Thomas Mitchell as Corporal Finegold plays his patented role of giving us some of the movie's messages. When early in the movie Dane bemoans how unprofessional his group of soldiers is, Finegold just says, "You can't always tell, sergeant. Some of those kids learn pretty quick and kinda good." Later, when Dane is discouraged and says, "I wonder how long these guys can stand up to this stuff," Corporal Finegold says to Dane (and to the theater goers), "Those kids signed up for this just like you and me. They'll get tired, sure. Things'll get tough, sure. But I don't think they'll put their tails between their legs and run anymore than you would." Robert Walker in his first credited film role plays the very young, gum- chewing corpsman. It's wise to remember that in propaganda movies it can be fatal to start dictating a letter home to your Mom. George Murphy plays the pilot who manages to get his bi-wing aircraft off but is wounded in the process. As with the other men, he chooses to die heroically. Even a conscientious objector who signed on as a non-combat medic winds up throwing grenades. Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan are particularly effective. I couldn't help but admire the professionalism of the movie. Yet knowing the men are going to get picked off, combined with the length of the movie, had me tensing every time someone decided to stand up, write a letter, peer over a sandbag, talk about his life back home or sing a spiritual. The tension is effective for the first hour, but after a while it got to be a strain. The one face-to-face fight towards the end of the movie, when Japanese soldiers camouflaged to look like brush and bushes begin to move toward the remaining men, and the men respond first with machine guns and then with bayonets, was a relief. It also was a brutal look at hand-to-hand combat. It's hard to beat war propaganda that lets us see average men and women gladly dying for a cause nobler than their own lives. At that level, the movie works. Bataan may be dated, but if you enjoy older war movies you might like this one.

BATAAN is one of my very favorite war movies and is based on an actual endeavor in the Phillipines. Sgt. Bill Dane(Robert Taylor) leads a small platoon of thirteen devoted men in the mission of blowing up a pivotal bridge, the Japanese need to prolong their war efforts. The Japanese do not take their bridge being blown up lightly. Realistic WW2 combat scenes as a few brave men fight for survival in the South Pacific. Great ensemble cast featuring: George Murphy, Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz, Barry Nelson, Phillip Terry and Tom Dugan. One of my favorite scenes is when the enemy invades as a group of 'walking shrubs'. Plus the energy of Arnaz as he finds Tommy Dorsey on the radio. The finale is memorable as Taylor is berserk with desire to defend himself surrounded by the enemy. Thanks to AMC and TCM for showing this classic as much as they do.