WE WERE SOLDIERS
Starring:
Mel Gibson, Sam Elliot, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear and Chris Klein
Writer/Director: Randall Wallace
Running Time: 138 mins
Certificate: 15
Out to buy on DVD September 2nd
November 1965, the US is about the engage the North Vietnamese army for the first time in battle. Entrusted with this mission is Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Gibson), a decorated officer and a veteran of the Korean War. He is to lead the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry against an enemy who has already driven out the French and Army intelligence has no idea of their number, strength or location.
In the modern age of cinema there are now two distinct kinds of war movie. Firstly we have the no holds barred dramatisation of the horrific side of war, showing that it is brutal, frightening and isn't discerning of class, creed or colour when it comes to who dies and who lives. Secondly we have the a large sequence of gritty realism mixed with an even larger helping of patriotism, corny dialogue and daring do, with maybe some romance thrown into the mix. Great recent examples of the first distinction are Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, Black Hawk Down, Tigerland and The Thin Red Line. But for all these Great War movies we have Behind Enemy Lines, Pearl Harbor and Enemy at the Gates. So where does We Were Soldiers sit, right in between the two.
What the movie does well, it does really well. The depiction of the People's Army of Vietnam as a well organised, formidable enemy makes a welcome change and they are given a respect seldom seen in other Vietnam pictures. The way the film shows the confidence of the soldiers shattered by their first real combat engagement and that they had to rely on each other as faceless Politicians and Generals sent them into battle against a totally unknown force is very well done.
What drags the movie into the second category is some extremely corny dialogue and sentimental patriotism that some of the scenes hold. While the performances from Gibson and Sam Elliot, as the seasoned Sergeant Major are very good, the rest of the cast fade away into an endless parade of soldiers who you never really get to know.
Writer/Director Randall Wallace makes up for what he did to Pearl Harbor (he was the writer) by delivering a very well shot, dramatic war movie but it falls short of the heady heights of the first category because of the dialogue he wrote.
Audio commentary from director Randall Wallace, 10 deleted scenes, 'Making Of' featurette, 'Behind The Scenes' featurette, Interviews with director Randall Wallace and stars Mel Gibson & Sam Elliott, TV spots, Radio spots, Trailer, Interactive menu, Scene access and Dolby Digital 5.1
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