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While this film is a tad heavy from time to time with propaganda elements, in many ways this war film stands well above the usual crowd of jingoistic American war films. Now I am NOT being critical saying the films are "jingoistic", as this was positive propaganda that slightly exaggerated the truth in order to unify the country against the Japanese. After all, we were at war and Japan had conquered most of the Pacific. But films made during the war often sacrificed reality in order to deliver the message--such as in AIR FORCE when a B-17 bomber almost single-handedly wipes out half the Japanese planes!! Fortunately, beneath the occasionally heavy-handed patriotism, the film itself was a very good representation of the war in the Philippines. This, combined with excellent action scenes and better than average acting make this a film worth seeing. In particular, other than IN HARMS WAY, this is John Wayne's best WWII film, as his acting is a little less "bigger than life" and more realistic. Also, if you liked this film, I also strongly recommend BATAAN (starring a surprisingly macho Robert Taylor). This film focuses on the fall of Bataan and BACK TO BATAAN is a great companion piece as it focuses not only on this but its reconquest. Top notch entertainment and a decent history lesson to boot!

The film "Back to Battan" starts and ends with the January 30, 1945 US/Filipino raid on the infamous Cabanatuan Japanese prison camp on Luzon Island as the allied troops rout the Japanese defenders, that number some 2,000 to 5,000 men, at the cost of only 4 killed and 21 wounded with not even a single US/Filipino POW being lost in the battle. The movie then goes back some three years to the spring of 1942 during the darkest days of the Japanese advance on Battan. US Col. Madden, John Wayne, and his men are fighting for their lives holding back wave after wave of suicidal Japanese Banzai attacks as the lights slowly go out for the American and Philippine forces. With the US general in command of the Philippines Douglas MacArthur being called back to Australia to regroup the battered and defeated US Army for another shot at the invincible army navy and air force of the Empire of Japan things look very bleak for the American and Filipino troops still left on the islands.

The film almost entirely concentrates on the guerrilla war conducted by Col. Joe Madden and Capt. Andres Bonifacio (Anthony Quinn), the grandson of the late 19th and early 20th century Filipino patriot and freedom fighter Andres Bonifacio the first. The guerrilla war lasted for two and a half years made it possible for the successful allied invasion of Latye in the fall of 1944. There's also Anders' girlfriend pretty Filipino radio personality Dolici Dalgado, Fely Franquelli, who's the Tokyo Rose of Minlia. Dolici is mouthing off on the radio Japanese propaganda to the Philippine people but in reality is working for US, which her boyfriend Andres who's totally unaware of it. Dolici puts secret code words into her commentaries to alert the US and allied, Philippine, troops where the Japanese Army is making it's next move.

One of the better WWII Hollywood war movies with John Wayne needing help from the locals and also being berated and pushed around by who I at first thought was the leader of the allied troops on the Islands,she sure as hell acted like she was, history teacher Bertha Barnes, Beulah Bondi. There's also a number of really exciting battle sequences between the US/Filipino troops and Japanese forces that didn't come across phony and overly one-sided, like in the battles of Battan and the Island fortress of Corrigidor,where the "Japs" actually won, like in most WWII movies coming out of Hollywood at that time.

There were two scenes in the movie "Back to Battan" that really moved me and that had very little to do with any fighting. The first when high school Principle J. Bello, Vladimir Sokoloff, refuses to pull down the American flag on the orders of Japanese officer Captain Abner Biberman and then was hanged in it's place. The second scene was when 15 year-old Philippine high-school student Maximo Cuerca, Duckie Louie, was forced to betray, after being tortured by the Japanese, his fellow freedom fighters and American allies. Maximo gave up his life taking the lives of his Japanese tormentors with him by forcing the truck he was on, by grabbing the steering wheel, to go off an embankment killing everyone on board in order to warn Col. Madden's men that they were soon to be ambushed.

The real heavy fighting was saved for last with the return to the Philippines of the American forces under the leadership of "I Shall Return" General Douglas MacArthur in the invasion and battle of Latye Gulf in October 1944. The invasion that culminated, in the movie, with the liberation of the Cabantuan POW Prison Camp in late January of 1945. We see, as the movie ends, a number of actual US POW's not actors in the film from some half dozen different states, Texas Alabama Kansas Tennessee Illinois and even Brooklyn New York. All these POW's who were just liberated are seen ecstatically marching to the trumping and heart-lifting tune of "California Here I Come".

The only thing that distinguishes "Back to Bataan" from scores of other routine war films is its historical theme, which remains an uncommon and important one. Few young Americans today have even heard of the Filipino and American disaster at Corregidor and the Bataan Death March that followed, during which numerous sick and hungry prisoners of war were beaten and killed by their Japanese guards. Although the movie accurately portrays the spirit of Filipino resistance to the Japanese, the individual characters from John Wayne down are cut from the usual Hollywood cardboard. Even the real American survivors of Japanese imprisonment, filmed here some months after their liberation during the invasion of the Philippines, are shown, supposedly right after they got out of the Japanese prison camp, freshly shaved and with neatly trimmed hair. Similarly, the guerrilla force led by John Wayne looks little the worse for wear even after two and half years of jungle warfare (whixh seem like about a week in this movie).

The Japanese lynching of the school principal is well handled. The man has not set out to be a hero, but put under the gun, literally, he is simply unable to haul down the American flag. The invaders hang him as an example.

Despite its weaknesses, "Back to Bataan" is still watchable and even enjoyable as a different view of World War II, especially if you're a high-schooler who hasn't yet become too cynical about Hollywood war movies. John Wayne and Anthony Quinn are their usual solid selves, and Beulah Bondi (as a naive but tough American matron)is an unusual asset in this kind of action film.

John Wayne and Anthony Quinn star in this important story about the Philippine resistance in WWII.

Sure, you won't see the excitement of Pear Harbor or the Battle of Midway, but what you will see is a film dedicated to the Philippine heroes and patriots. There is a lot of history here, including the infamous Bataan Death March. The resistance fought the Japanese until the Americans returned to Leyte.

After over 100 westerns, this was one of Wayn'e first war films. Beulah Bondi was superb as a teacher/nurse working in the villages.

A great story of heroes that have not gotten their due.

Back To Bataan is certainly one of the best war films ever made. John Wayne portrays Colonel Madden very well. This movie also shows that War Is Hell. Through very believable suspense, war sequences, it almost made you believe you were in the war and you could picture what it was like among the men who were actually there. When the camera was on the actor's face, you could tell whether he was scared, jumping with joy or angry. I urge all war movie buffs to check this one out, it's well worth your time. ****out of ****.

Classical warfare movie with big John Wayne and the flick talks about the Phillipines battle , during WWII , concerning on defenders and resistance fighters , but Japan has just invaded ; regarding events happened in Bataan , Corregidor and Leyte . Exciting warfare movie about a tough Colonel who forms guerrilla army to raid Japanese and to help Americans landing on Leyte . The Japanese army has overrun the Philippines , sending General MacArthur packing , promising to return . The US Army's defense of its Philippines colony and the allied Malay countries/colonies behind it counted on its island fortress of Corregidor on Luzon -and a few others- but loses it in the 6 May 1942 Japanese combined forces attack . Meanwhile , it's sent to the Duke to hold the fort . A small group of soldiers commanded by Colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne , he's based on on a real-life American who fought with the resistance movement) are among the escaping survivors who are ordered by general Douglas McArthur to organize a guerrilla . As Colonel Madden takes on the Japs aided by Capt. Andrés Bonifácio (Anthony Quinn) along with a small platoon of Filipino resistance fighters . As a group of soldiers flee from Japanese repeatedly attack and they head for blowing-up the Japanese installations . The defenders gave a few days for posterior victories and future US conquest like Midway , Island Salomon and Bismark . As the small army endeavoring to blow up a pivotal Japanese staff at a fake celebration of Independence .

This classic warlike movie is nicely starred by John Wayne at one of his best roles as a two-fisted Colonel , he's accompanied by a plethora of first-rate secondaries . Stirring actioner warfare completed with slice of military stereotypes although some characters are very one-dimensional . This rousing action saga results to be a a good film dealing with war in human terms . However , there are some nasty , ominous villains well played by Asian players who bear offensive racial stereotypes , as the Japanese are all nasty and evil . There is a fair bit of flag-waving and patriotism , but that was just what was needed when the picture was made . It may not be an awesome film , but this is a thrilling and well made war epic . This colorful movie contains action , breathtaking battles , thrills , stock-shots , historical events and the battle scenes are impressively made . Stalwart main cast , Wayne and Quinn , both of whom give splendid interpretations . Being stunningly supported by Belulah Bondi , Richard Loo , Lawrence Tierney Abner Biberman , Vladimir Sokoloff and Paul Fix as a grizzled as well as sympathetic veteran .

This is one of a handful of feature films that have featured the story of the World War II Battle of Bataan , they include ¨So proudly we hail¡¨ by Mark Sandrich (1943) ; ¨Bataan¨ (1943) by Tay Garnett and ¨They were expendable¨ (1945) by John Ford . The film is set into a lush , abundant jungle with a dense fog made by usual RKO production designer , Albert S. D'Agostino , and contains an atmospheric as well as evocative musical score by the ordinary Roy Webb . It is well set in South Pacific , Philippines and shot in Tarzana Ranch , Thousand Oaks , Baldwin Estate , Santa Anita , California . The motion picture was professionally directed by Edward Dmytryck , a good Hollywood craftsman . Edward has a sensitive handling of actors and provides an exact compositional sense . Edward handles in all -especially the battle scenes- with flair play and vigour . He is a classic director , his films deal with a deep description of civilized societies , he believes that corruption is an essential part of it , that society punishes sincerity , innocence and love, vengeance and greed determine the behavior of people .

The actual deeds about Bataan concern an unsuccessful attempt by US and Filipino troops under General Douglas MacArthur to defend the peninsular against the Japanese 1 Jan-9 April 1942 . Following the surrender of Bataan , MacArthur was evacuated , but Allies captives were force-marched 95 km/60 mi to the nearest railhead in the Bataan Death March,ill-treatment by the Japanese guards during the march killed about 16.000 US and Filipino troops .

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Back to Bataan is one of two films that deal with guerrilla warfare in the Phillipine Islands during World War II, the other being An American Guerilla in the Phillipines. The latter is a better film, but it has the advantage of several years of perspective and better preparation. Another reviewer complained that the Japanese were using American equipment. True, but in 1945 RKO studios did not have Japanese equipment available.

This is also the product of one of the smaller studios. Had this product been made at MGM or Paramount, no doubt it would have been better done. In 1945 the studios were just starting to wind down the production of propaganda war films. The more perspective one gets about an event like World War II, the more realistic the films will be.

Nevertheless given the script and budget they had players John Wayne and Anthony Quinn do a creditable job in their roles. Wayne is an Army Colonel told by General Jonathan Wainwright to go into the hills and organize resistance. Wainwright is not expecting the Americans at Bataan and Corregidor to be holding out much longer. Wayne does so and as a propaganda move rescues Anthony Quinn who is the grandson of Andres Bonafacio who was leader of Phillipine resistance to the Spanish in the previous century.

It's a fact now acknowledged that the Japanese were seen as liberators in the Pacific war for most native populations. The only place they met real resistance was in the Phillipines among the natives. The United States had a promised deadline in 1946 to abandon its colonial status there. The Filipinos didn't want to exchange one colonial master for another.

Yet when I went to Manila in 1999 and saw the people there driving nothing but Toyotas, you kind of wonder who did win that war and what was it all about in the Pacific. What they couldn't conquer militarily the Japanese have conquered economically. What a world.

My father, who is now in his late eighties, was one of those Philippine Scouts (of the US Army) who defended the Bataan peninsula as part of the USAFFE (US Armed Forces Far East) from early January to 9 April 1942. He was an Aid-Man in Company C, 12th Medical Bn. (Philippine Scouts), and witnessed combat at the Battle of Abucay Hacienda (around 11-13 January 1942), which is on Bataan, while supporting the 57th Infantry Regt. (PS). Later, as a Runner for the 12th Medical Bn., he came into contact with those US Army nurses at Hospital No.s 1 and 2, who were portrayed by Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, and others in "So Proudly We Hail" (1943). He survived about five days walking sixty-five miles on the "March of Death," being packed with about 100 other PoWs into a rail car designed to hold maybe forty men on the last forty-mile stretch to the prison camp, and then eight months in the Hell of Camp O'Donnell, or "Camp O'Death." My Dad loves this movie because it is so moving in many ways. As a result, we, his Baby Boomer children, are also big fans of this film, and will be for the rest of our lives.

During World War II, the Japanese wrest control of the Philippines from the United States, but stalwart Colonel John Wayne (as Joseph "Joe" Madden) doesn't see things the "Jap" way. With help from Filipino officer Anthony Quinn (as Andres Bonifacio), US troops fulfill their promise to the Filipinos, and save their colony for democracy. Fiancée Fely Franquelli (as Dalisay Delgado) makes Mr. Quinn's love life interesting as she seems to be favoring the enemy. Scene stealing schoolteacher Beulah Bondi (as Bertha Barnes) and little "Ducky" Louie (as Maximo) help play tug of war with your heart. The ending would have you stand and salute.

**** Back to Bataan (5/31/45) Edward Dmytryk ~ John Wayne, Anthony Quinn, Beulah Bondi, Fely Franquelli

War movies can be a tricky recipe to pull off because they've been done so often and fall into clichés sooo easily. This film was saved by bravura and sincerity. It's a good film. What at first may seem like a generic Duke vehicle quickly exposes itself as a small ensemble drama on an epic stage.

Part of the appeal of this film is to watch it with history in mind. It tackles a lesser known part of WWII history, the war and guerilla movements in the Philippines. This film is totally unselfconscious in how it deals with the war, in one scene it features real Bataan POWs marching in a parade and introduces them documentary style with a narrator, and it hired Filipino extras and actors for important roles. This is what really touched and surprised me, how it elevated and glorified Filipino nationalism, culture, and history (Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifácio are frequently quoted and reverently referred to throughout the film); and, in an age where African American actors still were unfairly stereotyped and Asian actors almost nowhere to be found in Hollywood films, this treated Pinoy characters as equals and as heroes. This openmindedness on the part of the filmmakers was refreshing, but very reflective of the US fighting men's appreciation of the contributions of the Filipino people.

The film is passionate about the people it portrays. It's common for wartime films to be full of propaganda and overly zealous, but this film is more touching and intimate in its approach. Patriotic speeches actually have meaning and tears behind them, swelling music doesn't feel manipulative, no doubt because it was filmed with so many soldiers and civilians involved and in 1945, these people had just gone through all this and everything is done with a real and raw memory. It feels like it's built on real stories and people, and the actors seem to know they're not dealing with run of the mill cutout characters. There's a sincerity inherent in all of their performances because of the immediateness of the subject matter. John Wayne is less gruff than usual (and even downright dashing). Anthony Quinn's confused young man: brooding heartbrokenly when he's away from his informant fiancée, tender when he's around her, not sure how to fulfill what many feel is his destiny, and his own personal journey is lovely. Beulah Bondi (as a teacher evacuee who helps the men out) teary eyed when she thinks of her students; the motley crew mix of American GIs and Pinoy volunteers who surrounds the two officers, casual and down to earth. It's a tight cast in a friendly fight to upstage the others, and you'd better believe they milk every scene for what it's worth.

The film moves along quickly and realistically. Instead of complicated plot movements and intricate bloated twists, the story seems like it was taken from any number of jungle war experiences which makes it fascinating and unpredictable, like real history. Director Edward Dmytryk, later blacklisted, paid no heed to Production Code regulations for violence, and filmed scenes that were fairly explicit (for the time) in their portrayal of cruelty and violence inflicted on soldiers and civilians in an attempt to realistically dramatize some of the atrocities that occurred during the war which lends the film an air of impending danger and gravitas.

From before the era of ambiguous and complex war stories (which is how I usually prefer my war flicks to be served), this one of the best "classic" war films I've ever seen. (If you like this, check out "An American Guerilla in the Philippines" which was shot on location by the great Fritz Lang in 1949/50 and very similar in many regards.)

This is a typical 1945-era Hollywood war movie. That means John Wayne in the lead, an unnecessary romance story built into the plot, actors who are not age-appropriate for their roles, laughably bad military tactics, and American tanks substituting for Japanese tanks.

The movie begins with the rescue raid on the Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp. The raid was a true event, but don't look here for historical accuracy. "The Great Raid" was much more accurate than this film, even though "The Great Raid" had it's own errors and boring parts.

Maybe this film is worth watching once for Wayne fans, but I can't say much else positive about it.

I agree that this is a terrific movie, and by "History vs. Hollywood" standards rates fairly high. The point of the movie is to characterize the Japanese soldiers as brutal and often sadistic in their treatment of the enemy. In the history of modern warfare, the Japanese in WWII were by far the most inhumane. There is nothing in this movie that is unfair in the portrayal of Japanese treatment of Filipinos. Later, American and other Allied POW's were subjected to even worse horrors. The film also correctly characterizes the Filipinos as tough, hard fighters, and unfortunate victims of a superior Imperialist (militarist) society, which was run by the Japanese Army, and victimized with extreme prejudice. I will disagree with one contributor to this forum who offers that the brutal treatment of Filipinos was one of the reasons for entering the war. Not so. The reason for entering the war was the gradual aggressive military movements of Japan spanning the previous 20 years, culminating in the invasion of China followed by the attack on Pearl Harbor.

this is one grit filled action packed war film.the the fighting scenes are well done.the acting is very good,all around.the movie really flows very well,i thought.it also really captures the essence of how brutal the Japanese were,in several scenes.everything looks authentic and realistic.in think the filmmakers were going for a high degree of realism here,and for the most part succeeded.it's one of those movies where you can help but feel uplifted.you may even feel like cheering.it's that kind of movie.yet it isn't maudlin or sappy.it's a very brisk paced ninety five minutes.would i watch it again?absolutely.i'd watch it again in the near future.for me,Back to Bataan is a 7/10

Is it churlish to complain about overt flag waving in war movies? Or to decry propaganda prose in the same? Back to Bataan is guilty as charged, yet such is the composition of Edward Dmytryk's film, and its focus on a part of the war we rarely have seen on film, it matters not.

We are in 1942, and after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese, U.S. Army Col. Joseph Madden (John Wayne) stays behind to lead the local guerrilla resistance against the Japanese army. With that synopsis it isn't hard to figure out what sort of pic we are going to get, yet to purely consider this as a macho beefcake movie is a little unfair.

Sure it's bookended by blistering action, as Duke Wayne (very restrained turn actually) and Anthony Quinn cut a swathe through the RKO sound stages, but there's lots of intelligent human interactions here to mark it as being in the least knowing of the campaign.

It often grasps for the sentimental branch, while the racist barbs and portrayal of the Japanese does sting at times. But this is exciting and thoughtful stuff, boosted no end by Dmytryk's sturdy direction and Nicholas Musuraca's monochrome photography (a film noir lovers dream pairing!). Better than routine war movie. 7/10

A commendable effort considering that the film was shot when war was still going on. At that time, Yamashita was still being pursued by American forces and Filipino guerrillas as he retreated into the mountain fastness of the Cordilleras in Northern Luzon. But on the whole, the acting was a bit "hammy" especially that of John Wayne. William Manchester, the biographer of Gen. Douglas MacArthur who was a Pacific War veteran himself recounted that he had the pleasure of booing Wayne as he made an appearance during a showing of the latter's film "Sands of Iwo Jima." Indeed practically all of John Wayne's WWII movies were acted badly. He was better in Westerns especially in his late maturity as the one-eyed sheriff Rooster Coburn.

This is not to say there wasn't any good acting at all in the movie. Beulah Bondi who played the role of an elderly American teacher in a public school deserves kudos, for instance.

The battle scenes were poorly planned and executed. A notable lack of military hardware was also apparent. Most of the tanks and armored vehicles were, after all, still being used in the battles of Northern Luzon.

Anthony Quinn is cast as a Filipino soldier. Well, at the time when Hollywood needed an actor to portray an "exotic" foreigner, they chose those who were not known for their smashing good looks. With Quinn, we've seen him as an Eskimo (Savage Innocents), a Greek (Guns of Navarone, Zorba the Greek), etc. Unfortunately, as a Filipino myself I must say he looks nothing like a Filipino.

Few people know that the gallant defense of Bataan which upset the Japanese plans of going back to Pearl Harbor for a land occupation and then proceeding to Australia and later on to California was undertaken mostly by Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Army of the Philippine Commonwealth. There were only a handful of American soldiers (not more than 5,000 combat, the rest were support) compared to about 30,000 Filipino soldiers on both Bataan and Fortress Corregidor. Churchill knew this and he uttered an uncharacteristic paean to the Filipino soldier who, after all, was not Anglo-Saxon. After the easy conquest of Singapore by the Japanese while the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" were still slugging it out toe to toe with the enemy, Churchill was asked in Parliament why that happened. He replied :"Because the Filipino soldier is the bravest in the world." The Philippine Army was attached to the American forces upon agreement of the governments of the United States and the Philippines as soon as war broke out. The joined forces were formally called United States Armed Forces in the Far East which became the famous acronym USAFFE.

Upon Bataan's surrender by the American commanders (the Filipinos were against it), the first thing the Japanese Army officers did was to segregate the Filipino officers. They were decimated by beheading with the infamous katanas carried by Japanese officers. During the Death March, many Filipino soldiers escaped to fight on as guerrillas.

As in most enemy occupied countries in WWII, the largest and most organized resistance movement in the Philippines was the front led by communist partisans. It was known as HukBalaHap, the acronym of Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon (The People's Army Against the Japanese). They were so effective that the Japanese felt their presence in almost the entire country but most especially in Luzon where the movement had many sympathizers because of agrarian unrest. This was because, the US colonial government did not abolish the feudal landownership system operated by the Spaniards for 300 years. This was due to the fact that the Filipinos who collaborated with the conquering American Forces during the Filipino-American War (US government historians called it an insurrection) were big landowners. Some clashes occurred between US forces and "Huk" guerrillas during the liberation of the islands by MacArthur as the Americans sought to disarm some guerrilla units because they were seen as communists, and thus, enemies.

For many years during the American colonial occupation, Filipinos resented the loss of their independence and seethed at the betrayal and atrocities committed by American forces during the Philippine - American War (cf. James H. Blount, The American Occupation of the Philippines). Somehow, however, with the universal education policy implemented by the American backed civil government and with the liberation of the islands from the Japanese, true friendship between the two peoples of different races became a reality. The most beloved American Governors General were Howard Taft who went on to become US President and Francis Burton Harrison. Taft ended the repressive military government headed by Gen. Arthur MacArthur, instituted public health and universal free education while Harrison campaigned vigorously for the granting self-government to the Filipinos culminating in the establishment of a Philippine Commonwealth Government and leading to independence. Manila's two main historical avenues are named after the two great American officials.

Another film about the Pacific War in the Philippines is The Great Raid (2005) which is based on the true story of the rescue of American POWs from a Japanese prison camp in Nueva Ecija. The prisoners were going to be murdered by the Japanese and so a small team of US crack troops were sent to rescue them with the help of Filipino guerrillas and local farmers.

During the World War II, in the Philippines, the ruler (Americans) and the ruled (Filipino) cooperated to resist the new ruler (Japanese). It was a rare case in history. This movie portrays the resistance guerrilla from the American's view point.

Japan invaded the Philippines immediately after breaking the war with the US, the purpose of it was to defeat the Americans, and to invade the resource rich Indonesia from the Philippines. Japan did not have much interest on the resource poor Philippines, but Filipinos had to experience tragedy. For the USA, who had to use much of their forces to Europe, the Philippines was not that important country. Being unable to expect much support from the USA, the Americans and the Filipinos organized the guerrilla for the resistance.

Throughout the history, Filipinos have never won in fighting against foreigners. For long, they even did not have recognition of a nation state. In this guerrilla, however, they fought risking their life for their nation state, the Philippines, though not by themselves but with American's leadership. This movie is different from other war movies by giving light on this point.

Skip "Pearl Harbor" and rent this movie instead. This is a no-holds barred view of the Imperial Japanese and their brutality toward the Filipinos in the opening stages of World War II. John Wayne, Anthony Quinn (who recently died), Beulah Bondi, et al are splendid in their roles. The hanging episode at the school is particularly moving and horrifying. That outrage encapsulates what happened to thousands of brave Filipinos who suffered under the heel of the Japanese. See this film.

On the one hand, yes, the Japanese forces committed some horrific atrocities in their colonization of East Asia and the Pacific islands, and their treatment of POWs flouted the Geneva Conventions. On the other hand, the US colonized the Philippines at the turn of the last century and waged the predecessor to the Vietnam War. Malolos? The US army razed that town during the occupation of the Philippines.

Which makes it all the more ironic that Edward Dmytryk's "Back to Bataan" casually depicts the US as the hero. Of course, I wouldn't expect otherwise from a John Wayne movie (never mind that Wayne never served in the armed forces). I suspect that the Filipinos themselves got to the point where they saw any outside power as an invading force (even though the Japanese were easily the most sadistic).

The point is, Dmytryk's movie is a typical popcorn version of World War II. It doesn't make sense to take any John Wayne movie as a serious version of history (even if some of the movies were well-crafted).

Realistic based movie which effecively encapsulates the brutality of the Japanese during that time in the Philippines.The Philippines had basic commonality with the U.S. in basic philosophies like CHRISTIANITY(Theology) and DEMOCRACY(Politics) and this was the reason why the Japanese miss-calculated when they thought they could win the Filipinos over to their side with the propaganda they spewed forth regarding the Japanese/Filipino Asian bond.It was a very big mess and the Japanese just could not figure it out.The Filipinos just despised all the Japanese stood for no matter how noble their cause was supposed to be.This movie delivers and is ahead of it's time with gritty battle scenes and not over doing the Hollywood compromise bit.The main flaw here was the casting of Quinn as a Filipino.I am sure even at that time there were a lot of able Filipino studs who could hadle the role of Andres Bonifacio's grandson.A movie like this which emphasizes Filipino freedom and equality should have at least casted Filipino's on equal terms.Quinn did a very good job of it though,amazingly capturing the mannerisms of a typical modern Spanish Filipino well enough to pull it off.....

Gripping WW2 movie about the US effort to organize a guerilla defense of the Philippines against the Japanese. One of the best war movies I've seen. Rousing action, strong cast, good direction. Even though it stars John Wayne, who's very good in this, it's really an ensemble piece. Anthony Quinn has one of his best roles from the '40s here. Beulah Bondi, Paul Fix, Vladimir Sokoloff, and Fely Franquelli are among the excellent actors in the supporting cast who offer sincere performances. There are a lot of touching moments and some surprisingly tender ones, too. Particularly for a movie thought of as simply a war actioner. It's a great deal more than that. Obviously fans of Duke and Quinn should see it but I think others will enjoy it as well.

Colonel John Wayne (Madden) stays to fight in Bataan against the Japanese who have conquered the region. He is helped by Philippino Resistance Leader Anthony Quinn (Bonifácio). The story is based on true events when the Japanese had the upper hand. The Duke manages to be on the winning side come the end, though.

The film is OK and the battle shelling is powerfully portrayed but we don't really get a sense of camaraderie. We have a love story that is touched upon between Quinn and radio broadcaster Fely Franquelli (Delgado) which provides a degree of human drama but I'm afraid the whole school sub-story falls flat. The sentimental contrivance of the school kid and the teacher Beulah Bondi (Miss Barnes) is totally ghastly. Bondi is really irritating in this film, seemingly taking over and ordering people about. My wife and I spent the film wishing that John Wayne would shoot her. Unfortunately, this never happened.

Wayne does OK and some scenes are done well – the flag raising/hanging scene – but there is something flat about this effort. Watch "Bataan" (1943) for a much better effort on this topic.