Mel Gibson,
Chris Klein, Madeline Stowe, Sam Elliott and Greg Kinnear.
Directed by Randall Wallace
In the years since the completion of the Vietnam War there
have been many books and movies made on the experiences of
our men and women in this horrific conflict. Classic films
such as Oliver Stones Born on the 4th of July,
and Platoon took a look at the conflict through
the eyes of an individual and those around him, and illustrated
how the war changed them. The late Stanley Kubrick gave audiences
a gripping and unforgettable look at Marine training in Full
Metal Jacket, but no matter how many times a film is
set in Vietnam, it is often compared to the classic Apocalypse
Now as that film set the standard for Vietnam movies
with its diverse characters and dramatic scenes.
Mel Gibson is no stranger to war movies as his recent turn
in The Patriot, was a grand epic about Americas
struggle for independence. In the new film We Were Soldiers,
Gibson plays real life hero Lt Colonel Hal Moore. A soldier
who is given the task of training platoons in the new armored
Calvary of mobile infantry. His men will be the first to use
helicopters to enter combat zones and engage the enemy. With
the crisis in Vietnam heating up, Moore understands that it
is only a matter of time before his unit will be called into
action, and struggles with the notion of not having combat
ready troops in time to do the missions they are asked to
undertake. A keen student of history, Moore realizes that
he will be pitted against a determined enemy with twenty years
of combat experience who are fighting on their own soil. Moore
is also a content family man and a devote Catholic who loves
his wife Julie (Madeline Stowe), and his children. The call
to deploy does arrive and Moore is asked to lead 350 men in
a retaliation strike against a recent raid by the Viet Cong.
Smelling a trap, Moore leads his men in with the promise that
he will be the first to enter the field of battle, the last
to leave, and that no soldier living or dead will be left
behind. The enemy is engaged and Moore and his troops soon
find themselves against a well-fortified force of nearly 4000
enemy troops. What follows is a three-day battle of what was
to be known as the Valley of Death and how Moore and his men
fared against overwhelming odds. The film gives a dynamic
look at the battle as the only diversions from the action
are when the scene switches to the enemy side where we see
their strategy and thoughts on the conflict as well as back
in the states where Julie Moore has taken up the task of delivering
the telegrams to wives informing them that there husbands
have been lost in battle. Based on the book We Were Soldiers
Once and Young by Joe Galloway (who is played by Barry Pepper
in the film), and the now retired General Moore, Soldiers
does not glorify war, and instead paints the conflict in the
most basic of human terms, there is some graphic violence
in the film but it is factual and never gratuitous. The dedication,
fear, loyalty, and loss, of troops on both sides are well
illustrated and the film is informative without being preachy
or grandstanding. The supporting cast is excellent and Sam
Elliott and Greg Kinnear do fantastic work in support of Gibson.
Gibson is a marvel as his portrayal of Moore is intense, but
never seems forced or out of character for the man he is portraying.
He is cool under fire, yet cares for every man under his command,
and is not above getting to know his men on a personal level
as well as offering words of support and gratitude in the
midst of a pitched battle. I found the pacing of the film
to be appropriate to the story as director Randall Wallace
knows when to hit the accelerator and when to slow things
down for the right emotional impact without being overly sappy.
The only negative I had with the film was the role of Lt.
Jack Geoghegan (Chris Klein), who I felt was a little unfinished
after being established early in the film and sharing a great
chapel scene with Moore where they discuss Gods view of the
conflict and the fine line of being a soldier and a father.
Nevertheless, the film is a well-crafted movie that shows
one again that Gibson is a talented actor who has an uncanny
eye for projects and has once again given audiences a winner.
4 out of
5
Gareth Von Kallenbach
|