Bullet Points: Battle for Saipan
Some of the nicknames given to the features surrounding the Battle of Saipan in 1944 include “Hell’s Pocket”, “Purple Heart Ridge”, and “Death Valley”. Not only are these names indicative of the hellish danger that American troops found themselves fighting through during the almost month-long battle, but they each would make rather excellent names for a World War 2 movie. This WW2 movie doesn’t have a catchy title or a big flashy budget but it does have one of my all-time favorites; Casper Van Dien!
Synopsis: A Surgeon defends a hospital from invading enemy forces in the Battle of Saipan during World War II.
- Pacific D-Day: The real life Battle of Saipan was a massive step towards the invasion of Japan that never happened. Before the dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, the smart money was on Allied forces having to land craft on the shores of a Japan for a massive large-scale invasion that would have cost tens of thousands of lives. The taking of Saipan ended up dealing a massive blow to the fighting power of the Japanese forces and dealt a deadly blow to its psyche. It also brought American forces very close to the Southern islands of Japan.
- MAJOR ass-whoopin: Our introduction into the film is with Louis Mandylor’s Major William Porter. He’s a hard-ass from New York who fights hard, cusses well, and isn’t afraid to take charge and mess some people up. His squad gets ambushed at the very beginning of the film and that forces the Major and another injured private to seek refuge in the hospital.
- Life and living aren’t the same: Casper Van Dien is a medic named Vic who works at a hospital on the island. Not sure how he could have been there as long as he was since the battle didn’t last that long, but the gist of it is that he’s under a severe amount of stress and hasn’t slept in days. His hours spent not staring blankly at the wall or beating the shit out of his DIY punching bag are filled with bloody and dying soldiers and the effects of that are very noticeable to everyone around him.
- Off screen battles and on screen attacks: Among the lamest scenes is when the characters are listening as a massive battle is happening off screen. I tend to think that scene would have worked better with radio traffic, or maybe a survivor showing up with some crazy stories. Instead, they just sit there with a slight bit of fear on their faces. All of that changes as the Japanese forces begin their attack on the hospital location. Major Porter, Vic, and General Carroll (Jeff Fahey) plan a defense for the place that includes a serious amount of knifing dudes and Casper Van Dien killing a bunch of dudes with a hammer. Shit got really real!
- Fahey and Mandylor: The addition of Jeff Fahey as the General was huge for Battle for Saipan. He isn’t a character that does much during the story, but his presence in the few scenes along with Casper Van Dien and later Mandylor give a huge boost for the performers compared to some of the patients and nurses. Louis Mandylor, to me, was the standout in the film. He gets a few of the best lines and while CVD was the clear “star” of the film, the picture doesn’t work as well as it does without the relationship that Louis and Casper build. If’ you’re a Mandylor guy then you’ll find plenty of reasons to love this movie.
- Banzai charge: One of the craziest things about the actual Battle of Saipan is the 4,000 man banzai charge that the remaining Japanese forces embarked upon as the American troops filled the island. We’re told at the very beginning of the film that the story kicks off on July 7th, which was just two days before the official end of the battle. What we aren’t told is that the Japanese forces were seriously desperate and were hellbent on taking down as many American troops as possible. In the, the film version of Battle for Saipan delivers a pretty awesome battle as CVD and company hold off the sword and bayonet wielding soldiers as they blindly walk into machine gun fire.
The Verdict: I can’t speak to the validity of the story of Battle for Saipan but it sure was enjoyable to watch. Very good performances from Casper Van Dien and Jeff Fahey (though limited) were bolstered by an excellent performance from Louis Mandylor as the hard-nosed Major. The film juggles a myriad of action sequences with character-driven scenes in which the soldiers dish on where they’re from, and why they want to get home. Exactly the things that guys talk about in those situations. Supporters like Eoin O’Brien and Josh Riley help to boost the scenes not including some recognizable actors and added weight to the story of those in the hospital still trying to survive. The action sequences didn’t feel very WW2-like, but they served their purpose and I really felt the claustrophobia and lack of ammunition that was being dealt with by the survivors. A definite recommend from director Brandon Slagle and I think we’ll be seeing more from him sooner rather than later.
Check out Battle for Saipan in select theaters this Friday (11/25) and on Digital and On Demand next Tuesday (11/29).
