Undescribable Perfection

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The acting in this movie is really good.

There were hundreds of these cheap-ish World War Two quickies in the decade following the close of the conflict itself. They differed little from those produced during the war, still being in a kind of adulatory propagandistic mode, except that they were a little more vague usually having no direct message. What's more, as more time went by the seemed to get further and further from the realities of the conflict.An American Guerrilla in the Philippines sees Tyrone Power, swashbuckling idol of the pre-war years, as an officer battling Japs in the Philippine jungle. Power has matured as an actor since his pictures a decade earlier, appearing tougher and less boyish, although he has also become less interesting in the process. His performance is steady and natural, but he is unable to make anything of what is admittedly a rather bland character on paper anyway. His buddy Tom Ewell is an unusual addition to the cast. He was in later years a very fine comedy actor, but it's hard to tell if he's appearing here as comic relief or not. In some moments, such as his burbling in the water trying to stay afloat, seem as if he is trying to play them for laughs, inappropriately if so, and certainly not at all funny. The rest of the cast is simply plain bad or plain boring.Director Fritz Lang is normally someone who can give a nice baroque touch to even the most American of film formats, while still remain true to genre and tone. He seems uncertain however quite what to do with this one. He gives many shots in the jungle an abstract feel, with no familiar points of reference, giving them a threateningly wild look. Often his camera takes a spectator's position, peeping out through foliage. It's hard to tell what purpose this serves, as it distances us from the events on screen. Incidentally, Lang was a very good director of crowds and action, as evidenced in his big-budget silent pictures. There are some very powerful moments, with characters moving straight towards us down the middle of the shot and memorably stylised movements. However for a director who is normally so good at imbuing his work with a dark and nightmarish feel, An American Guerrilla in the Philippines has none of the bleak terror of, say, Operation Burma, a picture which really worked because it made us the audience feel lost within the jungle ourselves.And ultimately An American Guerrilla in the Philippines is too light, and too sparing on any true sense of tragedy. It's lack of a real feeling of danger gives it many dull stretches, and its lack of realism does a disservice to those involved in the conflict. All of which is rather odd because the picture is also far from being a comedy. The only thing which saves it and makes it watchable is Fritz Lang's strong, vibrant imagery, such as dozens of hats waving in the air or a soldier's dying scream just inches from the lens. Having said that, there are far better Fritz Lang pictures to see these brilliant touches in.

Even as a non-movie war buff, I really enjoyed this movie. As a Filipino who lived in the Philippines for 16 years, 6 of which was in the province and the rest in the States, I really identify with the movie. It shows the beautiful scenery of the country and the rustic huts which are still being used to this day. It displays the villager life quite authentically as I recognized the national costume, (barong Tagalog and filipiniana), a typical nipa hut, the way people typically wash their clothes, and the huts on stilts.Tyrone Powell stars as the dashing war hero who gets blown off his PT boat and leads his motley crew to Australia. In the process, he gets caught up with the Filipino guerilla movement against the Japanese, trying to duck the Japanese whenever the village is invaded. It is an interesting portrayal of trying to make do with Asian countryside resources to make a viable radio to contact general MacArthurs troops. He meets the heroine who later becomes widowed and the two fall in love in the midst of the war. The ragtag crew gets caught in a last stand at a sturdy church, when General MacArthur arrives in the nick of time, making for a feel good movie, I found it exciting, easy to get into and located in a typical local Filipino flavor even featuring the typical native dance tinikling. I loved this movie, it will not disappoint. Maybe they could have portrayed the Japanese high rankers as a little bit more cruel, the way my mom used to describe to me, and they could have shown some Japanese as young kids who had no choice and were just homesick and were in a war they never wanted to be in. But other than that, an excellent war movie. The difference between movies in the 1950's and 2000's clearly show in terms of excellent acting and inspiring cinematography.

The great Tyrone Power does it again! Not only does he wow the audience with his fabulous looks, he also makes you feel like you're really there, with his great acting ability. It is natural, not put on. The real chemistry with Michelle Perelle is very evident. (It's easy to see why Ty had thousands swarm to see him where ever he went.) You not only get a history lesson about the war in the Philippines, you also get to see it through the eyes of those who risked their lives and suffered through it! This includes Ty Power who sacrificed big bucks in offered movie contracts to go fight for our freedom instead. What a great American! It has dynamic movement, not a dull moment in it anywhere. The scenery is great, too! I must say I like having Tyrone Power doing the areas of narration, also. A real must to see with the whole family.

An entertaining film, filmed in the Philippines where the story is set and with some excellent local colour. And Micheline Presle, in one of her few non-French films, reminds me of a former girl-friend! At 37, Tyrone Power looks a little old. (Quinlan's notes that "when he returned from war service, his face had hardened into earnestness and gravity".) But he fills the starring role well.I feared early on that the film might descend into the cliché of "attractive woman among hardbitten men in trouble" when Power invites Presle to accompany his motley crew on their primitive craft, but luckily she declines (and she looks too classy to have had the experience of such craft that she claims).Some producers might have been tempted to make more of the American "phonies" (led by the ever impressive Jack Elam) Power observes collecting money from the villagers - a showdown between the good and bad Yanks, perhaps, but they're allowed to slink off. And I wondered if the woman with her head hidden as she denounced collaborators to the Japanese might later be identified and dealt with. Lesser films might have made more of these incidents in the interests of drama The end of the film was a bit unconvincing, with the Japanese soldiers withdrawing just as the survivors of Power's band look to be beaten; they had enough time to finish the job before getting away.