Prisoner of War

Royal Air Force Wing Commander James Wright is shot down during a mission over the Philippines in 1942. He is captured by Japanese forces and taken to a brutal prisoner-of-war camp commanded by Lt. Col. Benjiro Ito. Wright endures forced labor, deprivation, and daily brutality as the camp tightens its grip.

Ito orders his right-hand man Captain Hirano to execute Wright, but Wright fights back, killing Hirano and two soldiers before briefly escaping. He is quickly recaptured and returned to the camp. The incident hardens the camp's attitude toward him.

Camp officers stage underground fighting matches to entertain their guards, forcing prisoners to gamble with their lives. Wright initially hesitates but is pressured to fight after witnessing resisters be executed. The brutal arena becomes a test of Wright's martial arts talents.

Wright's prewar martial arts training gives him an edge as he defeats Koji, the camp's top fighter. His victories draw Ito's ire and put him squarely in the crosshairs of Ito and his enforcer Endo. The camp’s brutal system treats any success as a threat.

Ito realizes that Wright's martial art techniques are forbidden by the camp's rules. This discovery deepens Ito's interest in Wright and foreshadows a dangerous obsession with the master who trained him. Ito begins to scheme around Wright's abilities.

Wright forms alliances with fellow prisoners Captain Collins and Sergeant Gabriel Villanueva. The growing bonds give the group practical ideas for escape and surviving under increasingly brutal conditions. They also gather information that could aid their plan.

Theresa, a local nurse compelled to work at the camp, provides medical care to prisoners and secretly supports the escape plan. Her discreet assistance helps keep injured prisoners alive during the growing crackdown. She becomes a crucial link between the prisoners and potential outside help.

The group aims to deliver intelligence on Japanese troop movements to the Allies and time their escape with an anticipated air raid. The plan grows more urgent as the camp tightens its security and threats to prisoners escalate. They count on external bombardments to mask their breakout.

Wright steals a radio from the camp to call for U.S. reinforcement. Collins confirms that Allied reinforcements are on the way and that the air raids will offer a chance to slip away. The plan shifts from waiting to acting as the opportunity nears.

The trio heads toward a downed glider to plan an escape, accelerating their timetable as conditions worsen. Collins kills a guard during the covert breakout, and is subsequently executed by Ito's men.

As Allied air power pounds the camp, James, Theresa, and Villanueva seize their chance to break free. James confronts Ito and defeats him; in a show of respect, Ito orders his men to refrain from killing James as they flee.

In the present, Shunsuke Ito reveals that Ito died years earlier from illness. He asks James to demonstrate the forbidden technique, bridging the past and present.

James demonstrates the forbidden technique in the dojo and defeats Shunsuke Ito. Shunsuke returns the medallion that Ito stole from James years ago, ending the duel and restoring the artifact to its rightful owner.