Alex da Silva An army group are thrown together with the aim of preventing the Japanese from crossing a bridge in the Philippines during WW2. Sergeant Robert Taylor heads this small unit and we watch to see how many of his troop of 13 soldiers survive.This is one of the better war films from this period. It reminded me of the film "Five Came Back" (1939) as you try and guess who will make it out of the jungle. As usual, there is a cast to get to know – possibly a couple of people too many to make things truly effective as we just can't get to know that many people. However, the body count starts early on, so you get involved from the beginning and the film keeps you watching. The set is good and there are many battle scenes as we approach a memorable ending ……….. and you can feel the tension.

gregorynewton 1943 saw many films of this type. The war was in its third year and the Homefront was full of ration cards and stars in windows. If it wasn't a war picture, it was sure to be escapism. For example, Kenneth Spencer had great roles in both Bataan and Cabin in the Sky in 1943. I love the odd mixture of servicemen all lumped together at this forgotten outpost with a single yet futile mission. Destroy the bridge and keep on destroying it. Men are lost one by one yet they stay. Everyone has character flaws and everyone rises to heroic proportions when duty calls for it. That spirit of sacrifice and true grit fight is why the allies won the war.All Americans knew of the fate of Bataan - McCarthur's retreat, the death marches and the horrific loss of life. This film captures that tragic story magnificently with fine performances from all of the characters and excellent direction. A perfect screening for a Memorial Day weekend.

Terrell-4 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.

tmills777 This film is good for getting a picture of the feelings and actions taken in WWII. "Dirty Japs" was not a far-off-the-mark remark to make seeing what they did in Nanking, China, and to American POWs towards the end of the war with Japan. The new Benjamin Bratt film will delve into that and it will be interesting to see if "PC" shows its ugly head. Not to worry with this gritty action film with Robert Taylor, Loyd Nolan, and other tough second leads who made these movies so entertaining. Thomas Mitchell is a hopeless miscast as a Marine corporal. When the film was shot, TM was in his early fifties, and carrying around the remains of too many fine dining habits, but his performance was good nonetheless. Film is good as is without John Wayne.