Hello, all! We’ll be closing out the films about the Vietnam War in this “series” with today’s pick, which is [perhaps ironically] about the first major engagement between the US forces and the PAVN troops of North Vietnam. Based on the book of the [nearly] same name, WE WERE SOLDIERS is particularly interesting in that it at least attempts to examine the Battle of Ia Drang from both sides, examining to some extent the motivations, tactics, and costs of the battle on both sides rather than simply glorifying the US troops and demonizing the enemy. Naturally, the film focuses on the battle from the American perspective, particularly focusing on the role of Lt. Col. Hal Moore [portrayed by Mel Gibson] and his command of the approximately 400 troopers in the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment… incidentally outnumbered by ten to one by some estimates. Without getting too much in the weeds with troop strength numbers, it might be better just to share the trailer and let it communicate just what the US soldiers were up against in the Ia Drang.
The foreshadowing is pretty thick in this film, using a quasi-prologue scene showing the fate of the French in then-French Indochina. As one would expect, the French don’t fare well, but the scene isn’t intended to mock the French but rather to demonstrate the “take no prisoners” approach that the Communist troops in Vietnam would take. Combine that with the fact that the soldiers Lt. Col. Moore would command were given the same unit designation as the troops under Custer’s command [and wiped out at The Battle of Little Bighorn] and you’ve got yourself some heavy duty foreshadowing. As it happens, the film could have played this up even more by sharing the nickname Moore’s real-life soldiers gave him – “Yellow Hair” – also a reference to Custer. The film doesn’t share this detail, but I suppose it’s because it does plenty to establish the situation of Moore’s troopers as being similar to what those slaughtered at Little Bighorn faced.
After a few scenes of training up the troops [an homage to the boot camp portion of FULL METAL JACKET, perhaps] and introducing the audience to some of the more significant characters, the film throws them into harm’s way, cleverly using a bit of archival footage of President Lyndon Johnson [not in FORREST GUMP fashion, either] to grant the film an even greater sense of realism. Save for the final engagement in the battle, the film makes a concerted effort to portray the grim realities of the battle, including a particularly gruesome depiction of the effects of friendly fire.
Interestingly, the film has three “fronts,” the main focus being the front lines on the American side, but the second being the family left behind on the home front. I recall some complaining that the film’s depiction of cab drivers being used to deliver the “Regret to inform” Western Union telegrams as inaccurate; but, from what I’ve read about the battle, it actually happened. The last “front” is, of course, the presentation of the battle from the perspective of the PAVN troops. While this aspect of the battle is given the least screen time, it is interesting, even noteworthy, that the film didn’t instead choose to depict the enemy as some kind of moustache-twirling villain out of a Lash Larue movie. For a film fighting on so many “fronts,” it really does a solid job of developing at least a few of the more significant characters. Mel Gibson does a solid job, as usual, but Madeleine Stowe is also very good as his wife, Julia Moore. Similarly, Barry Pepper [probably forever remembered as “the hillbilly sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN”] gives a good performance as Joe Galloway, the reporter who made his way to the combat zone, later to co-author the book on which the film is based, We Were Soldiers Once… And Young. Greg Kinnear also turns in a good performance as Maj. Bruce Crandall, the Huey pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. Lastly, I’d be more than a bit remiss if I didn’t at least mention Sam Elliott’s portrayal of SGM Basil Plumley, a tough-as-nails NCO who ironically provides almost all of the film’s scenes of comic relief. According to those who served with him, he was even more hard-nosed than Elliott portrayed, and if you’ve seen the film, that’s rather impressive.
In the event that you’re looking for a film that has the training scenes of FULL METAL JACKET and the gritty, even graphic realism of combat shown in HAMBURGER HILL, then this is the film for you. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS; Day 5 - BRAVEHEART; Day 6 - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD; Day 7 - GLORY; Day 8 - GODS AND GENERALS; Day 9 - GONE WITH THE WIND; Day 10 - CAPITAINE CONAN; Day 11 - ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT; Day 12 - GALLIPOLI; Day 13 - PATHS OF GLORY; Day 14 - SERGEANT YORK; Day 15 - DAS BOOT; Day 16 - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN; Day 17 - PATTON; Day 18 - CROSS OF IRON; Day 19 - SCHINDLER'S LIST; Day 20 - FURY; Day 21 - MASH; Day 22 - TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR; Day 23 - PLATOON; Day 24 - FULL METAL JACKET; Day 25 - GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM]
The foreshadowing is pretty thick in this film, using a quasi-prologue scene showing the fate of the French in then-French Indochina. As one would expect, the French don’t fare well, but the scene isn’t intended to mock the French but rather to demonstrate the “take no prisoners” approach that the Communist troops in Vietnam would take. Combine that with the fact that the soldiers Lt. Col. Moore would command were given the same unit designation as the troops under Custer’s command [and wiped out at The Battle of Little Bighorn] and you’ve got yourself some heavy duty foreshadowing. As it happens, the film could have played this up even more by sharing the nickname Moore’s real-life soldiers gave him – “Yellow Hair” – also a reference to Custer. The film doesn’t share this detail, but I suppose it’s because it does plenty to establish the situation of Moore’s troopers as being similar to what those slaughtered at Little Bighorn faced.
After a few scenes of training up the troops [an homage to the boot camp portion of FULL METAL JACKET, perhaps] and introducing the audience to some of the more significant characters, the film throws them into harm’s way, cleverly using a bit of archival footage of President Lyndon Johnson [not in FORREST GUMP fashion, either] to grant the film an even greater sense of realism. Save for the final engagement in the battle, the film makes a concerted effort to portray the grim realities of the battle, including a particularly gruesome depiction of the effects of friendly fire.
Interestingly, the film has three “fronts,” the main focus being the front lines on the American side, but the second being the family left behind on the home front. I recall some complaining that the film’s depiction of cab drivers being used to deliver the “Regret to inform” Western Union telegrams as inaccurate; but, from what I’ve read about the battle, it actually happened. The last “front” is, of course, the presentation of the battle from the perspective of the PAVN troops. While this aspect of the battle is given the least screen time, it is interesting, even noteworthy, that the film didn’t instead choose to depict the enemy as some kind of moustache-twirling villain out of a Lash Larue movie. For a film fighting on so many “fronts,” it really does a solid job of developing at least a few of the more significant characters. Mel Gibson does a solid job, as usual, but Madeleine Stowe is also very good as his wife, Julia Moore. Similarly, Barry Pepper [probably forever remembered as “the hillbilly sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN”] gives a good performance as Joe Galloway, the reporter who made his way to the combat zone, later to co-author the book on which the film is based, We Were Soldiers Once… And Young. Greg Kinnear also turns in a good performance as Maj. Bruce Crandall, the Huey pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. Lastly, I’d be more than a bit remiss if I didn’t at least mention Sam Elliott’s portrayal of SGM Basil Plumley, a tough-as-nails NCO who ironically provides almost all of the film’s scenes of comic relief. According to those who served with him, he was even more hard-nosed than Elliott portrayed, and if you’ve seen the film, that’s rather impressive.
In the event that you’re looking for a film that has the training scenes of FULL METAL JACKET and the gritty, even graphic realism of combat shown in HAMBURGER HILL, then this is the film for you. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS; Day 5 - BRAVEHEART; Day 6 - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD; Day 7 - GLORY; Day 8 - GODS AND GENERALS; Day 9 - GONE WITH THE WIND; Day 10 - CAPITAINE CONAN; Day 11 - ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT; Day 12 - GALLIPOLI; Day 13 - PATHS OF GLORY; Day 14 - SERGEANT YORK; Day 15 - DAS BOOT; Day 16 - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN; Day 17 - PATTON; Day 18 - CROSS OF IRON; Day 19 - SCHINDLER'S LIST; Day 20 - FURY; Day 21 - MASH; Day 22 - TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR; Day 23 - PLATOON; Day 24 - FULL METAL JACKET; Day 25 - GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM]
