Watched this yesterday, in many ways a typical war era 'propaganda' style movie that tried to capitalize on the loss of the Philippines the year before. The plot concerns two civilian married doctors caught up in the Japanese invasion of these islands. They are in a 'remote' area and must make the journey to the last US redoubt in and around Manila. On the way they join up with a small group of American troops also trying to elude the Japanese and eventually reach Corregidor island. There they meet another doctor who was once the true love of the female lead. After this point the film largely becomes a soap opera set in a war. A contemporaneity review states the film devolves into a turgid love story and I am forced to agree. The battle sequences, of which there are quite a few, are more fanciful and stylistic than accurate or realistic. Much of it 'depicts' Japanese air attacks though it seems that they threw in everything except the kitchen sink. Footage of actual Japanese bombers are combined with images of 'parasol' style fighters, others that look suspiciously like Spitfires and a crash of a WW I era biplane (used twice!). On a positive note the movie does move fairly quickly, though this leaves plots holes large enough to sail the Yamato thru. Acting is also pretty stilted through out. I would not go out of my way to seek this film out...I might even cross the street to avoid it.
..I've got a bunch of these movies in a box set of 32 DVDs of actual war footage from WW2 to Vietnam and the last few DVDs are old war films.....I'm sure this is in there ..they used to show these movies on the weekends during the day.... ..I just looked through it....are those Aichi 99's? around the 30:45 mark... and a Betty? ..I'm surprised they would release that in 1943?
I've seen this one floating around, just never stomached up enough desire to watch it. I think I'll pass.
My set has only 20 films, all WW II themed, I believe you are correct on both counts as to the aircraft. Presumably they lifted this footage from another film or possibly a newsreel.
..the majority of mine is actual combat documentaries....the remaining are the movies .... ....I guess it was like today's combat footage--the military releases footage to the news networks .....or some of it was pre-war or from the Japanese in China ....but these old movies are interesting to watch--to see the ''old ways'''/discrepancies/old ways of making films/old vehicles and buildings/etc....I always try to check out the backgrounds in the scene--for old objects/etc
Yeah I dug out the same 20 movie set...need to watch Ski Troop Attack..a Roger Corman film..that should be either interesting or a one star review.
