Jan Thompson's documentary, originally broadcast on PBS and narrated by Alec Baldwin, provides a thumbnail sketch of the circumstances leading to the U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese during the early part of World War II. The U.S. and Philippine fighters assigned to the territory operated with insufficient military, medical, and food supplies, and morale was decimated when President Roosevelt, following a “Europe First” policy, ordered Gen. Douglas MacArthur to evacuate to Australia. The Japanese who overran Bataan were somewhat flabbergasted to find that the surrendering troops consisted of 75,000 military personnel, who were then forced to leave the area on foot on a 66-mile trek that became known as the “Bataan Death March,” with the final destination being a prison camp. The Tragedy of Bataan features interviews with 15 American survivors of the ordeal, coupled with rarely seen photographs and confiscated Japanese propaganda footage (since no photographic or film evidence of the harsh treatment of the captives during the Death March is known to exist, Thompson employs original artwork to depict Japanese cruelty). Unfortunately, the half-hour running time means that the documentary barely scratches the surface of this extraordinary U.S. defeat (and no inkling of what transpired afterward is given) and it's a shame that no Philippine veterans were included. Still, this might serve as a jumping off point for those eager to learn more about this grueling chapter in World War II history. DVD extras include uncut survivor interviews and additional Japanese propaganda footage. A strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)
The Tragedy of Bataan
(2011) 30 min. DVD: $14.99 ($34.95 w/PPR). PBS Video (tel: 800-344-3337, web: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/">www.pbs.org</a>). Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883-623-9. September 10, 2012
The Tragedy of Bataan
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