Vietnam Movies

[Evangeline Mellon]

Its no surprise that the Vietnam War and the veterans who served during it have been immortalized in some of the most iconic war movies ever made. From visceral battles to emotional homecoming, explosions to tears, writers, directors and actors continue to mine the war and its fallout for cinematic inspiration.

No Vietnam War movie list would be complete without Francis Ford Coppola's masterful take on the Joseph Conrad novel, "Heart of Darkness." The movie follows Martin Sheen's character, Cpt. Willard, who is tasked with tracking down and killing Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), an officer who has gone rogue and has likely devolved into an insane murderer. Even though filming and production were plagued with problems, the movie became a box-office hit and is widely regarded as one of the best American movies of all time. "Apocalypse Now" garnered eight Academy Awards nominations and two wins, as well as a prestigious Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival. The movie continues to fascinate audiences today, as one reader pointed out: "As with the current war in Ukraine, and Russian war crimes, this movie shows the true nature of men's ability to descend into barbarism."

"The Deer Hunter" follows three Western Pennsylvania steelworkers who survive the Vietnam War despite staggering odds and horrific experiences, only to find themselves unable to readjust to civilian life. On its release, elements of the movie -- including the plot's use of Russian roulette, the depiction of Vietnamese people and the film's seemingly patriotic conclusion -- were considered highly controversial, which led to an Oscar-night protest by Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Featuring performances by Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken and a breakout role by Meryl Streep, "The Deer Hunter" is now widely regarded as an American cinema classic due to its all-star cast, excellent screenplay and technical execution.

Starring Sylvester Stallone as the now-iconic former Green Beret John Rambo, "First Blood" became an instant international sensation upon its release, spurring a franchise of movies, books and merchandise. While the Vietnam War is very much a part of the overall plot, the movie takes place in Washington state after the conclusion of the war. Following a series of increasingly brutal encounters with local law enforcement, Rambo's flashbacks trigger in him a nearly superhuman response as he leaves a path of destruction, maybe, and spent brass in his wake. "Just an all around great movie that inspired me to be a Green Beret," one reader noted when nominating "First Blood" as a must-watch film.

Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" tells the story of a group of Marine recruits from boot camp to the battles of Da Nang and Hue. Perhaps best known and loved -- at least within the military community -- for R. Lee Ermey's Gunnery Sgt. Hartman's foul-mouth quips and quotes, the movie also garnered BAFTA, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Many Military.com readers who nominated "Full Metal Jacket" particularly focused on the boot-camp scenes, saying, "[The] bootcamp scenes were so real;" "The basic training scenes were the most realistic that I've seen in a movie"; and "I lived that movie in 1973 in the USMC."

Based on the novel "Incident at Muc Wa," which was inspired by a real-life Special Forces operation at Tan Hoa in the early 1960s, "Go Tell the Spartans" follows a doomed and outgunned Army outpost and its leader, Maj. Asa Barker (Burt Lancaster). While it had a limited theatrical release in the United States, it did so to critical acclaim, including praise for Lancaster's performance. One reader echoed movie reviews of the '70s, saying, "The only accurate movie about the experience of the advisers that served in [Vietnam], and a pretty good demonstration of the lives of the rural Vietnamese who survived the war."

In Vietnam War history, the Battle of Hamburger Hill is generally considered a controversial event that had a high human cost and low strategic value. That same battle was immortalized by the eponymous movie nearly 20 years later. Featuring Don Cheadle and Dylan McDermott (in his first movie), "Hamburger Hill" focuses on the lives of 14 soldiers during a 10-day stretch of the Vietnam War. While this movie is often forgotten on must-watch lists, our readers emphatically lauded it for its realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War, combat and squad relationships.

Written and directed by Oliver Stone, "Platoon" is a response to his personal experiences as an infantryman serving in Vietnam. Both a critical and box-office success, the movie boasts eight Oscar noms and four wins, including Best Director and Best Picture. "Platoon" features a star-studded cast, led by Charlie Sheen as Chris, an Army volunteer whose idealism quickly fades as he's thrown into combat. He experiences confusing and unmooring ambiguities that create hostilities not only between the Army and the locals but between the soldiers in the platoon as well. One reader emphatically recommends "Platoon," "... because I served in Vietnam as a Pointman with the 101st ABN. The movie is very accurate as to what happens at the platoon level. Also I served in the rear area, after I was wounded. Therefore I know what soldiers experience."

Adapted from the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by retired Lt. Gen. Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway, "We Were Soldiers" follows an air cavalry unit led by then-Lt. Col. Moore (played by Mel Gibson) in the la Drang Valley as they try to hold off North Vietnamese troops despite withering odds. A reader recommended the movie because it "... tells the story from the battle lines as well as the home front." "We Were Soldiers" continues to resonate with viewers two decades after its release.

Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox.

Joanna Guldin is the community engagement manager at Military.com. She has worked in the military community for more than a decade, and her writing has been featured in national and international publications. She lives in Pennsylvania with her Navy veteran husband. Read Full Bio Copyright 2024 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here. You May Also Like Irish Sisters Christen US Warship Bearing Name of Their Brother, Who Was Lauded for Heroism The future USS Patrick Gallagher bears the name of the Irish citizen and U.S. Marine who fell on a grenade to save his...

I have to say that even though I love most vietnam war films, I feel at the same time a frustration at the consistant anti-war message. If you think about it few vietnam movies have captured the good side of american soldiers during that war, and yet we hail those films to be incredible. I just find it funny how we seem to be falling apart at the seems and how we make huge satires on american decisions and then hail them as genious even though it insults the very thing we stand for.

[quote]

and also,most of the major vietnam films are hardly anti-america.the deer hunter (which I think is a bad and very overrated film) portrays the vietnamese you see as being ruthless and inhumane.

[/quote]

I think the Deer Hunter is one of the most overrated films ever,and I stand by that.I didnt say,or even imply that the Vietnamase werent ruthless,so I dont know where youre coming from here

The people who are talking shit about us need to look at themselves and their own countries, and ask themselves if they want people like Hussein, Bin Laden around to wreak havoc in their countries. If we dont act NOW!, it WILL happen. I think everyone should be behind us, not bitching and criticizing us"

I would have thought someone who watches so many films would be a little more openminded than this.I dont agree with the actions of the people you named,but Im not up for all this GOOD OL US OF A bullshit.The man you call President is just as bad as Hussein and Bin Laden,only hes more subtle about it

I say your either for us or against us. If your against us, well, it really sucks to be you because THE USA WILL ALWAYS RULE!!! WE ARE THE PEOPLE!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! LAND OF THE FREE HOME OF THE BRAVE!!"

All I can say,is I hope this comment was a fucking joke

Look GW Bush is spreading out our troops into 3 wars, N. Korea, Iraq and Al Queda, If we have LEARNED ANYTHING FROM HISTORY it is that you can only fight a war one one front at a time. That is the thing with people they ignore history an history bites them in the ass.

The problem is that Pro American, always becomes Anti (country insert). Patriotism is also a tool used by the government to manipulate the masses. I am not against showing love for your country, per se, but we should realize, for instance, the Bush administration fueled the Terrorism War, and attempted to justify the Iraq War, with patriotic overtones, but may not be right.

It seems like all Vietnam war movies are either about individual characters in some abstract Vietnam war setting or individual battles/incidents. There are no movies that cover the history and progression of the war itself from start to finish that I can think of. Even documentary films, there just doesn't seem to be much interest in what happened in the war. This seems to be unique to Vietnam. Why is this?

Public sentiment against the Vietnam War meant that it was difficult to show the war in a satisfactory light, especially given that it ended in a costly American defeat. Hollywood had more financial success with focusing on a sympathetic individual or group and leaving the unsympathetic war as a background.

Michael Paris, emeritus professor of modern history at University of Central Lancashire, talked about this at length in his article "The American Film Industry & Vietnam", published for the magazine History Today. The whole article is an interesting read, so I'll summarize some of his points.

3a8082e126