Movies

There are over 500 movies about or including the Vietnam War, by both American and Vietnamese directors. Some of the most famous include Forrest Gump, We Were Soldiers, Born On the Fourth Of July, The Deer Hunter, Good Morning Vietnam, and Full Metal Jacket. Movies about the war weren't made until quite a while after, since it was still a sore subject and because of the pain the country and the veterans were feeling. People were curious as to what it looked like over there, but did they really want to see the nightmare?

The Vietnam war was a televised event. Anyone with a set could tune in and see continuous coverage of what the men serving our country were experiencing on a daily basis. This being, cinematographers worked hard to replicate exactly that. Often in production, they would study actual footage. Soldiers were interviewed in order to study mindsets. In some cases, actors would subject themselves to brutal, military-like training to better prepare themselves to portray roles. Even during production, actors may have been treated as though they truly were in war, and deprived of things that were readily available simply to add to the reality factor.

One of the first Vietnam movies made was called "Apocalypse Now" and released in 1979. Director Francis Ford Coppola works with actors Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen to depict a real life war scene. Most of America never knew what it was like except for the stories they heard, and this was one of the first movies to show the effects on the soldiers. To this day, movie effects are getting more technologically advanced and audiences can get a real sense of what it was really like being in the war.



We Were Soldiers-Directed by Randall Wallace and released in 2002. A brave story about the battle of Ia Drang. It shows the work of the 7th Cavalry Regiment under the command of U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson). It was based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young" written by Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore. Director Wallace told Moore he'd get the movie as close to the story as possible. The movie received a 3.5 out of 4, and was praised for it's emotional attachment to each character and it's incredibly realistic war scenes. Platoon- Released in 1986. Directed by Oliver Stone. Produced by Arnold Kopelson. Starring Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen. Oliver Stone wrote this story based on his Vietnam War experiences. Platoon would later be referred to as the first movie out of a trilogy all directed by Stone, the second movie Born on the Forth of July staring Tom Cruise and the third movie Heaven and Earth starring Tommy Lee Jones. The movie centers around the hardships and the cruel realities Vietnam has to offer. For example, conflict among American soldiers, abused Vietcong villagers, and bloody battle scenes makes Platoon one of the most realistic looking war movies. The movie received positive reviews given 4 out of 4 stars praised for it's presentation of violence and decisions American leaders had to make between capturing Vietnamese or saving the lives of their own troops. The 1987 film, //Full Metal Jacket//, based on the Vietnam War, is still regarded as one of the best and most accurate war movies ever made. Because The film outlines a platoon of Marines in boot camp. The film makes no attempt to sugar coat the events that take place in training, such as hazing, harsh punishment, and fierce abuse. It shows how truly ripped from the norm and reality a soldier in this war was, before even arriving in Vietnam. Hamburger Hill, made in the same year as Full Metal Jacket, is a movie outlining the thought that the Vietnam ordeal was a pointless effort. It is extensively graphic movie that focuses on the outrageous battle to claim a hill in Vietnam during the war. The hill has no purpose or advantages to the fight, yet countless men on both sides are gunned down trying to take it. in the end, the American army's plan of conquest is canceled, leaving a significant loss of men, who have now died for nothing. On a lighter note, the movie "Good Morning Vietnam" is a war comedy directed by Barry Levinson and released on December 23rd, 1987. The movie shows the life of Adrian Cronauer (Robin WIlliams) as he takes over at a radio station for Vietnam. He started off every day with saying "Gooooood Morninggg Vietnammm!!!!!!!!" hence the title of the movie. He ends up seeing the war first-hand, and is determined to tell the public of what really goes on, as opposed to information through the government. For a trailer of this movie: http://www.zuguide.com/Good-Morning-Vietnam.html? Back to the Home Page