Back to Bataan is a pretty intense film that’s based on events during WWII that I wasn’t particularly familiar with. So it’s always interesting to learn some new facts like this. Of course the film does take its share of liberties and apparently isn’t going for the 100% accuracy route but it’s not like I can really tell which parts are real or not. As long as you enjoy war films then you should like this one.

The film starts off with the U.S. losing a lot of their morale in their fight against the Japanese over Batann. This is because a lady named Dalisay has been spewing Japanese propaganda over the airways and she was the girlfriend of Andres, one of the U.S. soldiers. It’s disheartening to see that she would turn on them even if it is likely under threat of death. Joseph is trying to keep the forces together but it’s not easy. Then he is told to leave the company for a while in order to execute a top secret mission. He will be working with the Filipino resistance to stop the Japanese from the inside. Can he pull such a thing off?

Obviously the resistance is always going to be on the back foot from the start. They have courage and a whole lot of heart but the government side is always going to have the advantage in ammunition, firepower, and numbers. The only way to win will be a lot of run and gun tactics which is difficult. Still, Joseph is not going to give up and gradually he starts to win over more and more people to their cause. The film is really about this uphill battle and not giving up until the very end.

On the Japanese side we see how they cycle through a bunch of different tactics. First they go with trying to overwhelm the locals through intimidation and wanton murder everywhere. When that doesn’t go so well then they try appeasement by pretending that they will actually let them live peacefully. This illusion doesn’t last very long before they break character and just start murdering again.

There is definitely something to be said for having homefield advantage. Even when the Filipinos were completely outnumbered they were able to find different trails to launch counter attacks and regroup. It’s not the kind of situation you ever want to find yourself in but at least there can be a little solace in knowing that there are some ways to fight back.

Joseph was a solid main character. He was good at getting the most out of his soldiers. In some cases that meant feeding their egos, playing dumb, or taking an aggressive approach. He did whatever he needed to in order to come out on top and that was crucial. I don’t think it will come as a surprise to say that he was the best character here.

Andres steps up as the film goes on but admittedly he wasn’t looking good at the beginning. I don’t think he should have been as shook up as he was upon hearing Dalisay’s voice. Honestly at least it means that she is still alive and I wouldn’t be holding anything against her. It goes without saying that she is not saying these negative things of her own freewill. At one point Andres mentions that she has to know how damaging her words are…and yeah of course she does. Dalisay is trying to stay alive and he should understand that.

There are certain things you should never do even when under the threat of death. Murdering a comrade, leading soldiers into a trap, etc. Talking negatively on the airways though? Ehhhhhh I just don’t see that as being as much of a problem. Obviously it’s a bad thing but would it be worth dying over? Personally I’d be glad that she has found a way to extend her life even if only by a little bit.

Dalisay was courageous on her side and took quite a number of risks. She did whatever she could in order to help on the side but she just didn’t have many opportunities. This film was really about everyone making these kinds of sacrifices. Even a little kid was helping the heroes a lot even when the risks were high. The heroes bump into a school where the teacher helps by dressing wounds and such. In a war everyone has to do their part. There is no time for bickering or deciding to sit it out. You either fight or end up dying.

In a way this war also has a time limit. The resistance needs to last long enough for the U.S. navy to get there. Once they do, then they can bomb the Japanese out of there. Of course there will still be a lot of collateral damage and it won’t be clean but at least the resistance isn’t totally on their own. Now that would have been even more grim.

Overall, World War II was an absolutely grim event and so this film doesn’t have the happiest tone either. The soldiers do their best to find some levity where they can but for the most part they all have to stay focused at all times. Focusing on the Battle of Bataan was a smart move since it doesn’t get nearly as much screentime as other parts of the war. I definitely feel like I got to learn something while watching it and so I would recommend this one to folks. Of course if you are not a big fan of war films or prefer something a bit happier then you’ll want to skip this one. It’s ultimately building towards a happy conclusion but it is a rough journey to get there.