MovieChat Forums > We Were Soldiers (2002) Discussion > Not the best Vietnam film IMO, but quite...

Not the best Vietnam film IMO, but quite admirable

posted 11 years ago by onourway55
7 replies | jump to latest

I kind of liked how the approach to this film was different to typical 'Nam flicks. Usually when you hear the words 'Vietnam film', you think, psychological thriller with a load of nihilistic characters and the theme of men losing their sanity whilst uttering racial slurs about the Vietnamese, such as Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket and Platoon, the "big three". You don't get that in this film, it's just a simple out-and-out war movie, with half an hour setting the scene before being thrust into non-stop action. In that sense I found it to be more like Black Hawk Down than those three.

Not the best war film I've seen and for me it's not up there with the aforementioned films, but it's good that they didn't fall into the usual cliches about Vietnam films.

[–] Eric_Northman77 10 years ago

I agree with you for the most part,however I like this movie better than ' Platoon ' which I think is a great movie also.

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

In that sense I found it to be more like Black Hawk Down ...

Well just like Black Hawk Down it focuses on characters and events associated with one real life battle. 🐭

[–] CaliCurmudgeon 9 years ago

At the time of the Battle Of Ia Drang, November 1965, the overwhelming number of US troops there were still volunteers, especially for a specialized Air Cavalry regiment.

And the war still seemed winnable to most at home.

Draft calls didn't ramp up until the following year 1966, and massive disillusionment with the war didn't mount until after the Tet Offensive, early in 1968.

[–] redban (6194) 3 years ago

I prefer movies like Platoon, First Blood, Apocolypse Now

This movie romanticized the American effort, portraying the soldiers as heroes. Platoon and others portrayed the Americans as savages, potheads, losers. The latter made a more compelling film

[–] spurtle467 (1547) 3 years ago

You've illustrated to me why those films are more interesting and subsequently better. I tried watching this one, I got through the half an hour build up to the troops being sent to Vietnam, and once there the film started to bore me. The focus was strictly on the battle itself and it was non-stop action, or at least it was until I bailed out. Little in the way of inner struggles with characters or subplots. The best Vietnam films have the war in the background and deal with other matters going on with characters and themes. This one had war in the foreground and nothing else. That sadly became boring quickly.

[–] huwdj (4566) 3 years ago

I think this is one of the best war films - perhaps because it follows the first half of a the book that tells the story of the battle - and it was one long brutal battle - no quiet moments - no pause for reflection.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (17745) 4 days ago

I saw it only once but remember being lukewarm about it. Might give it another shot.