Bataan (1943)

52% of users liked it
(2,017 ratings)

In 1942, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer and the United States Office of War Information collaborated on Bataan with the official goal to increase public understanding of World War II. The first war film to take place entirely on the battlefield -- with no scenes of the soldiers on leave, depictions of the home… More In 1942, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer and the United States Office of War Information collaborated on Bataan with the official goal to increase public understanding of World War II. The first war film to take place entirely on the battlefield -- with no scenes of the soldiers on leave, depictions of the home front, or flashbacks to pre-war civilian life -- Bataan prepared its wartime audience for American casualties. Its Alamo-esque storyline emphasized the value of such sacrifice and its diverse group of soldiers --compiled of all ranks, races, classes, ages, and creeds -- portrayed this effort as the duty of all men. It is a depiction of altruism and national unity that both inspired public support of the War and served as the template for World War II films throughout the forties and into the present. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Barry Nelson, Tay Garnett
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Jun 3, 1943 Wide
On DVD: May 16, 2000
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Since it was basically a tale of defeat, the nervous producers emphasized heroism, but later, under criticism of fabricating the facts with mechanically packed incidents, MGM was forced to acknowledge "some melodramatic flaws and technical mistakes."
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An exciting flagwaving big box office Alamo-esque suicide mission World War II film.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
MGM and the War Department teamed for this flag waving combat drama that influenced a number of future war movies.