"The Great Raid" is based on the true story of the 6th Army Ranger Batallion, which was on a mission to liberate 500 of their comrades held as POWs by the Japanese in January 1945, aided by their Philippinean allies. Led by Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) and tactician Captain Prince (James Franco), a special forces unit is assigned to the mission. At the same time, the story of the inmates is being told around Major Gibson (Joseph Fiennes) and the nUnratedse Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), who works for the resistance and supplies the camp with medicine.

The movie had already been filmed in 2002, but because of the beginning of the Iraq War it was sent to the Disney archives. It was not before the Weinstein Brothers split from the Disney subcompany Miramax in 2005 that the movie was released. When it hit the cinemas, however, it was a huge flop and subsequently only became a Direct to DVD release in many other countries, including Germany.

The Theatrical Version of the movie is two minutes longer than the Exclusive Unrated Director's Cut, in which some fictional scenes were cut in order to stay closer to the actual happenings.


Unrated Director`s Cut: 02:05.12 min. with ending credits
Theatrical Version: 02:07.20 min. with ending credits

Unrated Director`s Cut: 02:01.52 min. without ending credits
Theatrical Version: 02:00.04 min. without ending credits

Comparison between the Theatrical Version taken from the Germany DVD by Buena Vista/Miramax and the Unrated Director's Cut taken from the US DVD by Miramax

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 07.42
Time Index Theatrical: 07.41
The Unrated shows a close-up of the general, the Theatrical shows the action from further away.

No difference in time

Theatrical Version:	Unrated:

Time Index Theatrical: 08.56
After the emergency meeting, Colonel Mucci can be seen longer in a close-up.
1 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 08.57
In the Unrated, Colonel Mucci and General Kreuger talk about the upcoming rescue mission.
37 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 10.03
Time Index Theatrical: 09.26

Unrated:
Captain Prince and others sit around a table and discuss their strategy longer.
32 sec.

Theatrical Version:
Here, they talk about it only shortly.
11 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 14.36
The Theatrical features an additional shot when Major Gibson is talking to a woman on the market. She adds that the people are too scared to help them.
10 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 15.35
Two men put a bag on a carriage in the Theatrical.
5 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 16.16
Ditto.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 16.30
The chat between the twi is over and after the woman has left Gibson looks around for her longer.
0,5 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 16.37
The following sequence is completely missing in the Unrated.
The underground movement meets in a warehouse. They want to buy medicine, but Margaret thinks it might be an ambush. She tells her people to get into the truck. The dealers notice that they want to flee and start shooting. Margaret's men can kill them, but then Japanese soldiers enter the warehouse. However, Margaret can flee with the truck.
93 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 20.53
In the Theatrical, Colonel Mucci tells his soldiers that he wants to see each of them pray later on. Each one is to knee down and pray to god that they would rather die than leave one of the prisoners back.
20 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 20.00
Colonel Mucci tells Captain Prince that his plan to liberate the prisoners was to his liking. In the Theatrical he then calls for the platoon leaders.
2 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 21.32
After Mucci's speech the soldiers can be seen praying.
21 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 22.37
The Unrated features an additional shot of the soldiers marching along the beach.
4 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 22.41
Time Index Theatrical: 22.34

Unrated:
Colonel Mucci is shaving when Captain Fisher enters his tent. He says he would like to take more responsibility and Colonel Mucci agrees.
55 sec.

Theatrical Version:
The same scene in the Theatrical only features Mucci shaving, a talk with Captain Fisher does not take place at all.
11 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 25.09
The soldiers are walking towards the truck at dawn longer than in the Theatrical.
0,5 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 25.13
They also climb into the trucks and jeeps longer.
13 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 25.30
Time Index Theatrical: 22.39
Different shots can be seen when the soldiers get into the vehicles. In the Theatrical, a soldier raises his thumb whereas the Unrated features a soldier standing next to his truck an looking around.

No difference in time

Theatrical Version:	Unrated:

Time Index Unrated: 28.23
The Japanese torture a prisoner to death.
After this has happened, the others take him from the pole where he was hanged, Major Gibson watches the scene. In an additional scene in the Unrated, Gibson can be seen going away whuile the others put a blanket over the dead.
17 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 26.58
The tracking shot in the Theatrical starts earlier when the soldiers sneak through the woods.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 27.15
Theatrical Fassung, Colonel Mucci can be seen earlier.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 27.47
This sequence is missing in the Unrated:
Captain Prince and Sgt. Top talk. Top says that Colonel Mucci sometimes acts like a madman. Prince says that may be but that his madness was not without a reasoning behind it.
20 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 29.04
The soldiers sneak through high grass when a Japanese convoy passes them, the Theatrical features an additional shot of a truck here.
4 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 32.45
The inmates think that the Japanese had left the the camp and behave as if they were at home. However, their luck does not last and the Japanese return.
In the Unrated, Gibson looks to his men longer. They all cannot understand what is happening.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 32.16
The Theatrical Version, however, we see Gibson getting up in front of the returned Japanese longer and then a cut to his men, who stand up as well.
4 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 32.23
The Japanese General drives into the camp with his jeep longer.
3 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 32.57
The Unrated features another shot of a soldier on a crate.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 32.39
In the Theatrical, the Japanese general goes over the camp courtyard longer.
4 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 35.53
The Japanese general has Major Gibson brought to him and tells him that it was his duty as highest ranking officer to make sure there was no trouble in the camp. He also says that for each attempted flight ten men will be shot.
In a short additional shot in the Theatrical Major Gibson asks whether that was all.
7 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 36.23
In the Unrated they have the same talk and the Japanese general fetches a pill and puts it on top of the table. He says Gibson should take it because he looks feverish but he refuses to take it.
29 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 36.11
It is night and the soldiers are lying in wait. Again, a Japanese convoy passes and stops. A Japanese soldier leaves the path in order to get water from the river nearby. Unfortunately, that is where the soldiers are hidden. In order not to be discovered, they kill the Japanese and pull back.
160 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 00:37.01
Time Index Theatrical: 01:07.47

Unrated:
Dusk in the POW camp. Major Gibson has fever convulsions and rolls around on his pallet.
19 sec.

Theatrical Version:
The same scene with different shots.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 37.29
Time Index Theatrical: 39.02
Major Gibson is very sick. In the Unrated, a soldier is dabbing his forehead in a close-up. The shot in the Theatrical is further away.

No difference in time

Theatrical Version:	Unrated:

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 43.46
Time Index Theatrical: 45.18

Unrated:
Colonel Mucci can be seen with binoculars. The soldiers storm a village but have to notice that it had been deserted a long time ago.
15 sec.

Theatrical Version:
Captain Prince can be seen in a close-up with the binoculars, he then hands it to Mucci. The scene in which they storm the village is missing.
5 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 45.31
Colonel Mucci talks to the bald soldier longer.
8 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 49.49
Margaret is doing her laundry. Somebody knocks at the door and she opens. When the Japanese can be seen in front of the door, the Theatrical starts again.
18 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 50.59
The Unrated features an alternative shot of the prison in which Margaret is being interrogated.
7 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 51.52
When Margaret is being caught by the Japanese, she gets a slap in the face.
9 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 52.07
Additional close-up of Margaret. She says that she stayed in Manila in order to help the people.
3 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 55.47
During the second talk between Gibson and the Japanese general, an additional scene can be seen in the Theatrical Version. The Japanese general offers him a glass of water and suggests to have Gibson brought into a Japanese hospital. Gibson asks him why he wants to save his life.
42 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:16.55
Time Index Theatrical: 01:02.19

Unrated:
After Margaret fled from the church, a pastor tries to stop the Japanese soldier. Only the Unrated shows him gettin shot as a result while Margaret continues to flee.
10 sec.

Theatrical Version:
Her flight was shorted a little bit in the Unrated. She can be seen walking over the bridge longer in the Theatrical Version.
4 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 58.27
This sequence is missing in the Theatrical Version: Colonel Mucci's unit walks through the forest. They reach a Japanese village and are being greeted as liberators. They are surprised by this reception.
31 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:00.58
Time Index Theatrical: 01:06.10

Unrated:
At night, directly before the attack on the camp. Captain Prince and Sgt. Top are lying in wait and watch the camp.
17 sec.

Theatrical Version:
The same scene as in the Unrated, but from further away.
17 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:01.50
Time Index Theatrical: 01:07.02
A Japanese truck is driving in front of the camp, this scene was mirrored in the Unrated Version.

No difference in time

Theatrical Version:	Unrated:

Time Index Theatrical: 01:07.08
This scene is missing in the Unrated.
The Japanese general is sitting at his desk. He looks at his watch, extinguishes his cigarette and goes outside.
6 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:07.31
This scene is missing in the Unrated as well.
A subordinate of the general is waiting for him in his office. The general arrives, sits down and tells him something in Japanese.
16 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:02.14
This scene is missing in the Theatrical Version.
The Japanese general is standing in front of his house, a subordinate gives him a note.
11 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:08.07
This sequence is missing in the Unrated.
Margaret and some refugees are lying in the forest at night, a truck arrives which is supposed to take the refugees somewhere else in exchange for cash. However, a woman with a child does not have enough money. After a discussion, Margaret gives the truck driver her watch and the woman and her child can flee.
80 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:09.10
Captain Prince can be seen a bit earlier before he says something to Colonel Mucci.
1 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:16.30
The chat between Captain Prince and Colonel mucci is a tiny bit longer than in the Unrated.
7 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:10.09
This can only be seen in the Unrated.
Colonel Mucci can be seen in an additional shot when he is going up the hill to his waiting men.
8 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:17.16
Colonel Mucci and a soldier start their planning a tiny bit earlier.
3 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:20.13
The Theatrical features a short additional shot of Major Gibson in the prison camp.
3 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:18.40
In the Unrated, Captain Prince draws his attack plan into the sand.
3 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:20.15
This sequence is missing in the Theatrical Version.
Shortly before the attack Colonel Mucci can be seen looking at his wedding ring. Then cut to Captain Prince watching the picture of his wife. Sgt. Top sits next to him and says he is alright after Prince asked him for it.
39 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:24.42
The Theatrical Version features an additional scene in which the Japanese bury mines on the street.
9 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:22.14
The soldiers sneak up to the camp, the Unrated features an additional shot of the forest.
2 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:22.18
Shortly before the attack we can see a few alternative shots of the soldiers in the forest. Captain Prince gives orders using hand gestures.
37 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:23.05
Another shot of the sneaking soldiers.
12 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:25.10
There is an alternative shot of the soldiers crawling over the field.
3 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:29.52
The Theatrical contains an additional shot if the camp at night.
3 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:28.55
Two soldiers can be seen praying.
2 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:29.16
This sequence is missing in the Theatrical Version. Major Gibson is lying and wants to give the soldier who is caring for him something for his wife. The soldier gives it back and says he could give it to her himself.
16 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:32.03
There is an additional shot of the two soldiers who just prayed.
2 sec.

Time Index Theatrical: 01:37.21
When they storm the camp, the inmates help the attackers, even an old man joins them. The soldiers thank him a bit longer in the Theatrical Version.
4 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:39.00
The Unrated features an additional scene of a Japanese group attacking the US soldiers. However, they have already positioned their machine gun and can fend them off easily.
10 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:39.23
Time Index Theatrical: 01:41.01

Unrated:
A soldier tells Colonel Mucci that Captain Parotta is being attacked by the Japanese. Mucci says that they had to help him and liberate the prisoners.
4 sec.

Theatrical Version:
The same scene as in the Unrated, but here he says that he wanted to take on the Japanese.
2 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:40.13
Time Index Theatrical: 01:41.51

Unrated:
The soldiers can be seen shooting the Japanese in the river. Here, alternative shots were chosen and the scene recut.
4 sec.

Theatrical Version:
Ditto.
15 sec.

Time Index Unrated: 01:46.54
The shot of the liberated prisoners in front of the camp is a tiny bit longer in the Unrated.
1 sec.

Alternative Footage:
Time Index Unrated: 01:53.48
Time Index Theatrical: 01:55.36

Unrated:
Margaret finds her dead love Major Gibson. She reads his letter and is very sad but does not cry.
9 sec.

Theatrical Version:
Here, she is totally desperate and cries a lot.
9 sec.