Customer Reviews

They Were Expendable

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

More than 60 years ago, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. During the months which followed, the United States struggled to recover as Japanese military victories continued throughout the Pacific. This film is based on William Lindsay White's interviews of four members of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, published as They Were Expendable in 1942. John Ford and Robert Montgomery co-directed and Montgomery also stars as Lieutenant John Brickley. Throughout much of this film, Brickley's squadron only provides courier service between Bataan and Corregidor. When given the opportunity, however, Squadron Three does manage to sink several of the enemy's ships as the Japanese complete their conquest of the Philippines, eventually forcing the American forces to surrender.

With regard to the film's title, not all of those involved with resisting the Japanese were expendable. General Douglas Mac Arthur is ordered by President Roosevelt to relocate with his family and staff to Australia. Brickley's squadron makes their escape possible. As the film ends, he and Lieutenant J.G. "Rusty" Ryan (John Wayne) return to the United States on the last plane out. Their men will now be fighting on foot...at least for a while. In the final scene, as they trudge proudly down the beach and the plane carrying Brickley and Ryan rises above them, the soundtrack offers a muted choral rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." A distinctive Ford touch.

The greatness of this film is best explained in terms of (a) the generally non-verbal but nonetheless close relationships between Brickley and Ryan, and, between them and their crews; (b) the romantic feelings shared by Ryan and Lieutenant Sandy Davys (Donna Reed) which Ford never permits to deteriorate into sentimentality; (c) Montgomery's highly-effective portrayal of a soft-spoken leader; and (d) Wayne's (for me) surprisingly subtle and sensitive performance, perhaps equaled (in terms of nuance) only by his performances in The Searchers and The Shootist.

It is worth noting, also, that Ford as well as his cast and crew obviously had great respect for the men and women in the American military services. They avoid all of the pitfalls which ruin so many other war films. For example, character stereotyping (e.g. including a philosophical Jewish cab driver from Brooklyn) and using melodramatic music to manipulate a viewer's emotions during especially dramatic moments. This film has integrity in all respects, suggesting that although many of those whom it portrays may have been expendable, they are nonetheless admirable.

John Ford's THEY WERE EXPENDABLE tells the story of the fledgling PT (patrol torpedo) boat branch of the US Navy and its valiant, and futile, defense of Manila immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Few directors possess the passionate affection Ford has for his subjects. Ford idolizes and idealizes his soldiers and sailors. As a consequence, his movies usually aren't very plot driven. Rather, they are tone poems, love letters to the warriors he so deeply admires. Not that TWE doesn't hit a major note or two - the PT boat role as a fighting arm is established, battles are fought and boats are sunk. Yet Ford never seems all that interested in serving plot points. He wants to paint Heroes. In any other director this romantic treatment would seem trite and contrived, but Ford practically built the cliché, so I suppose if anyone has the right to use it, it's Ford.
Ford's heroes die talking. Rare is the mortally wound Ford warrior who is not borne from the noisy cauldron of battle to a quiet corner and allowed a passing speech. I don't mean to mock this, but I've never experienced the well of grief such scenes are meant to evoke. It happens a brief time or two in TWE, but the moments are over quickly enough.
If Ford's choice and treatment of material is romantic and sentimental, it's fortunate that his actors usually aren't. Robert Montgomery and John Wayne star and both give restrained performances as PT boat commanders. Ford surrounds them with his usual cast of highly competent character actors - Ward Bond, Jack Holt, et al - and seamlessly integrates shots of real combat in battle scenes. There's a scene where two PT boats attack a Japanese cruiser that is one of the best action sequences I've ever seen.
THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is a great war movie.

If you're looking for mock Hollywood heroics or a bloated 'action movie', try The Flying Tigers or The Fighting Seabees. This beautifully made, understated film is about the courage and dedication of the forsaken Phillipine defenders in 1941-42. In particular, the scene in which a radio announces the American surrender tells what those early days were really like. John Ford, who served in the Navy, casts Robert Montgomery as a PT squadron leader (in fact, Commander Montgomery served in the same PT squadron with John Kennedy). The b&w photography is outstanding, often mesmerizing, quite unique for a war film, with locations that are dead ringers for the originals. Adapted from the 1942 Pulitzer prize book by a reporter who was on the scene, it follows the true story fairly closely. Every performance is right-on, as are the combat scenes. Not a pumped-up excercise in flag waving; rather, it's a well executed tale of courage in desperate times. Every scene fascinates with the ambiance of its time and place, and with chilling historical accuracy. If the ending doesn't get a grip on you, you're a lost cause. And, yes, Doug MacArthur is treated like a god -- which, in those days, he was. No ostentatious preaching here; it's understated brilliance from start to finish, and an education in an earlier generation's attitude toward duty, integrity, and sacrifice. Bruce Willis fans stay clear; this is a war movie for grown-ups.

They Were Expendable is the story of a small number of Sailors who found themselves in the Phillipines as World War II started. These men are operating small torpedo boats for the Navy which doesn't seem to have much of a use for them, if one listems to the admirals and captains viewing them in action.

The all star cast includes George Montgomery, Donna Reed, John Wayne and Ward Bond, amongst others. All are excellent and make this story much more real than it might otherwise have been. You get the feel for the Philippines and the climate. Plus the deterioriation of the situation as the Army is forced down the Bataan Peninsula to the island of Corregidor and the ultimate siege and defeat.

Many people "remember" Pearl Harbor but don't quite recall that the Philippines was a starker defeat for the United States. If you look at it objectively, Pearl Harbor was essentially avenged at the Battle of Midway. The Philippines took over2 1/2 years to see the return of US forces and it then evolved into a slogging match with the Japanese Army that went on until the surrender of Japan in 1945. Pearl Harbor sticks in the mind, the Philippines rapidly faded away.

This movie brings back the events that made up the US role in the Philippines in 1941 and early 42. You see at the end that there is not a happy ending. The romantic interest stays behind to become a POW. The remaining members of the PT crews become rifle carrying Sailors as they march off into the bush. Pay attention to Montgomerey's farewell talk to his men. It should rank up there with Washington's farewell to the Army.

This is a film that should be seen by all with an interst in Naval and Military history as well as the events of 1941-42. It is a movie about people that could be anyone of us.

They were expendable is an excellent John Ford-directed story of the men who fought for recognition of the PT boat during WWII. This story takes place in the Phillipines prior to the fall of the islands to the Japanese Army. It explores the short-sightedness of the commanders who refused to see the boats for what they were, the sacrifices of the people captured by the Japanese armies, or, in some cases, sacrificed rather than being evacuated. It is a great story, featuring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne (in one of his most human roles,) paired with the
great Donna Reed.

Ford and his scriptwriter Frank Wead based this movie at least partly on the actual experiences of PT Commanders. Ford, who filmed many operations for the OSS, was well aware of the utility of the PTs. He was serving in the Navy, (filming battle footage and making movies) at the time of this filming, which was before the end of the war. In fact, Ford refused to leave his important duties and make the film until he was ordered to do so.

Robert Montgomery, like Ford a Naval man, directed some of the scenes for this movie when Ford got sick. His (and Ford's) naval experience helped make this film quite realistic in nature.

I am a Navy veteran. I served in the Submarine service, and truly understand what it means to live with men facing danger at all times. They Were Expendable is a film about courage,sacrifice, and the hard decisions that men under arms must face on a daily basis. I felt like a member of the crew, and at no time did I feel that I was "watching a movie." It should make all Americans understand what all servicemen in the Philipines did in the early months of World War II. They fought the holding action that led to our eventual victory!THE BEST WAR MOVIE IN OUR HISTORY!

...Famous WW2 saying/slogan for the stalwart defense of the Philippines, our Navy and Army defenders were forsaken, doomed and became prisoners of war by the Japanese war machine for over 3.5 years of inhuman captivity..."They Were Expendable"...a terrific WW2 movies central to the use of Motor Torpedo Squadrons [PT Boats]...John Wayne and Robert Montgomery excell and John Ford directs a resolute tale of WW2 courage...the two stars portray PT-Boat skippers who defend the Philippines and give the USA war effort the needed timespan to regroup after the crippling losses at Pearl Harbor and Clark Field, PI...great casting and inspiring music permeate with each changing scene...two heads/up about this movie: #1: Robert Montgomery actually saw action on active duty as PT-Boat skipper during the war and looks right at home in all of his scenes at the helm of PT-41...he easily generates leadership, the art of command and camraderie throughout this film [a given Ford trademark]....#2:...Donna Reed, after the American moviegoers saw her in action, her star rose like a meteor and established her as a leading lady thereafter, and justly so, did you ever see 'the perfect face' in her closeups??...whether under stress or just feminine happiness, it mattered naught...a classic face for eternity, simply beautiful...John Wayne was great as the XO despite playing John Wayne [himself] in all of his movies, this guy's persona was what made John Wayne so likeable, why tamper with his success on the silver screen...all in all a wonderful WW2 movie for the ages...Anchors Aweigh!!!......SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

An absolute must-see film for lovers of films about the WWII era: John Ford passionately directed this superior slice of what the REAL WWII was all about. This picture not only shows the pain, loneliness and sacrifice of war - in this case, the Americans in the Phillipines doomed to Japanese conquest - but effectively captures the mystique of heroism. Everything about this film is heroic, and movingly dipicted, right from the first scenes which show Montgomery, Wayne and others maneuvering their PT boats for admiral Trowbridge and other ranking Navy men, watching them skim the waters of Manila Bay in late 1941. Because I'm such an avid fan of this brilliantly realistic and finely acted account of war, I don't want to ruin it for others by giving away more details of the plot: just know that many more "modern" films don't come close to capturing the period flavour of detail as done in this 1945 masterpiece. Ford packs one poignant and powerful scene after another into this tremendous film, and Montgomery gives an outstanding performance as the PT squadron leader: he's a man of quiet reserve who carries out orders which he doesn't always agree with, doing so with unflagging determination. Location filming of the film was done in Key Biscayne, Florida - which suitably doubled for the exotic Phillipines. The film caused some post-production problems. Donna Reed's part, supposedly based upon the life of military nurse Lt. Beulah Greenwalt, sued the studio (M-G-M) and ultimately won $290,000 - which was a lot of cabbage back then. No matter, the film garnered huge financial profits for the studio. Wayne later stated that director Ford "was awfully intense while directing the picture and showed more concentration than I have ever witnessed from a director - I think he was really out to achieve something". No fears. He did.

Perhaps I can't improve upon the previous review which rated "They Were Expendable" as the greatest World War II made film, but as the son and nephew of men who served in the conflict, and myself a Vietnam vet, I would say that this is a poignant epic,-depicting war as it is,- brutal,-and yet bringing out the nobility of the human spirit.Robert Montgomery is representative of the dedicated commander-fatherly to ALL his men whether they are his senior or junior. The wonderful loyalty and cheerfulness of the Filipinos is touching.If someone who knew nothing about World War II wanted an insight about what the war REALLY was-then watch this movie FIRST! Again the greatest movie about World War II!!!

My uncle was a PT boat skipper in the Philippines during the war. The star of the film, Robert Montgomery, was his commanding officer while he did some early training in Panama before he was deployed to the South Pacific. My uncle was a very important figure in my life and his death recently was quite a blow to me. He loved this movie and said it was as close as Hollywood ever got to depicting the war accurately. For me, it is a small window into the life of someone who figured greatly in mine. There are many other reviews of this film, some quite detailed and erudite, and there really is no need to add my observation to this. The film simply resonates with me because of the personal connection and the knowledge that he and my father were part of an extraordinary effort by quite ordinary men and we are all better off because of it. This movie in a small way memorializes that and I'm grateful for it.