Reviewers rating : 9 out of 10

At last an American film that covered all aspects of the Vietnam conflict giving due credit to the French troops who were in the region long before the USA decided to take on the advance of communism under the Kennedy administration. The film also takes account of the wives and families back home and how they coped with their loved one's absence and the brutal use of a yellow cab company to delivery telegrams from the state department informing them of their husbands death on the slaughter filled fields of Vietnam.
Unusual too was the religious aspect by Gibson and some of his troops, though the clutching of a rosary beads by his Methodist wife seemed out of place.

A lot of the latter day Vietnam films concentrate on the conscripted soldiers who didn't want to be there, let alone fight a war they knew nothing about, but remember back in '65 not all those enlisted in the army were conscripts. Some chose to fight and joined to stem the flow of communism.

Filmed in Georgia USA and so it somewhat explains the lack of natural Vietnamese backdrops -nevertheless they made good use of what they had, namely a battle for control of strategic hill, on which they were outnumbered ten to one. It was set in 1965, and its important to remember what types of armaments were available at that time..... no missiles, no satellite intelligence - this was troops in.... one to one combat.. and troops out. That was the theory. it went woefully wrong.

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Gibson,complete with hair dye) was the experienced Korean war vet who along with Sgt. Maj. Basil L. Plumley (Sam Elliott) were sent to train and form into a fighting combat unit known as the 7th cavalry. Moore saw the advantages of using the helicopter as a form of rapid troop deployment. Helicopter usage up to then in a war situation was very much in its infancy and the Vietnam war lead to the rapid development and usage of the Bell UH1 Huey helicopter.

The film builds up nicely, with scene setting and character building. Look out for 2nd Lt. John "Jack" Geoghegan (Chris Klein), he is like Omg drool! This 23 year old succumbs to VC gunfire early on - his camp bracelet failing to save him. It some 40 minutes into the film before the first 'Gook' is killed. Gooks/Chinks.VC are American slang words to describe the enemy. We have the mass airborne landing of US troops in LZ X-ray(landing Zone). These helicopters carried the minimum of weapons, usually floor mounted M16's only. Maximum space was given over to troop carrying ability.. Deep inside the mountain side were the underground command bunkers of the VC. They were clever, organised and knew the local terrain. Let the battle begin....

As promised to his men, Col Moore was first on the battle field and last to leave. As with any combat situation things did not go according to the theory. Key men were shot, but they were quickly replaced by others -something Gibson and Elliott had drilled into them in training camp. The opening battle was bloody and intense with excellent slow motion shots of helicopters discharging troops and carbines in full flow. Where were the gunships that played a vital role later on? There were some bits missing in the direction here. Standard US army approach was divided up into three phases, enroute at 1,500 feet. NOE (Nap of the Earth) flying for the last three miles to the LZ then gunship suppression at 200 feet while troop discharge took place. Directors licence I suppose.

With groups cut off from the main contingent, Col Moore called in bombers to "burn them out" and we all know that meant the use of the deadly Napalm bombs. Spectacular film shooting here. This was only countered by the VC use of a phosphorus grenade which provided some gruesome footage of a US service man with half his face about to be cut off. Napalm was effective against the enemy but we also saw the results of a friendly fire incident which partially destroyed the US area. Airlifted into the hot zone was rookie reporter and photographer Joe Galloway (author of the book) played by Barry Pepper. Oddly enough non-combatant Galloway was allowed to stay on the front line though the sergeant major thrust a gun into his hand with orders to shoot anything that looked suspicious!

Rapidly being outnumbered and outflanked by they VC with Gooks massing for a final onslaught on day three of this battle, Moore saw the inevitable end for his troops and gave the command back to US HQ in Saigon for all available air support in the region to be directed on the enemy. The result/... a massive body count on both sides, but for the arrival of the airborne helicopter gunship, there would have been total annihilation of the US forces.

As the VC leader looks on at the madness of it all after the departure of the Americans, he wonders who exactly has won this war!
Where this film is better than say Blackhawk down is the human interface with the wives back home and the futile efforts of the American HQ in Saigon wanting a debriefing session in the middle of it all. This battle was really the start of the US offensive in Vietnam, and especially for the formation of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airborne) which was only a few months old at the time -Later to be renamed the 7th airborne after General Custer, humorously described by the sergeant Major as a 'pussy'

This was billed as the "best war film ever" and I think it earned that honour, at least from me anyway. Check it out.

Reviewed by Tomer Avshalom