Rating: 
Summary: Hollywood Gets One Right
Review: "We Were Soldiers" is an excellent film, both entertaining and historically accurate. It is an account of the US Army's 7th Cavalry during the battle of the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam during 1965. At the end of the film, most of the people in the theater I was in applauded! Films like this are rare in hollywood. Of course, many in hollywood have always been uncomfortable with the portrayal of communists as the enemy! This film is not in any way similar to "Apocalypse Now", or Oliver Stone's "Platoon". In my mind it is in many ways similar to the excellent film "Zulu", with Stanley Baker and Michael Caine. "We Were Soldiers" also reminds me of incidents described in Guy Sajer's classic account of combat on the Eastern Front, "The Forgotten Soldier". Often heavily outnumbered German Army combat groups would fight off attacks by human waves of communist infantry. "We Were Soldiers" is far superior to "Saving Private Ryan". Spielberg's film had realistic carnage used with a fictional script, in a historical setting. There were many historical and technical errors. For example, Tom Hanks and his men clear their section of Omaha Beach in 24 minutes flat! Of course, on June 6th 1944, it actually took 4 to 5 hours. Also, the positions occupied by the defending units of the German Army 352nd Infantry division were actually much farther from the waters edge than was depicted by Spielberg. The battle in the village near the bridge was really amazing, particularly the way the combat hardened veterans of the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division blundered into an obvious Hollywood ambush. When will the hollywood "Germans" ever learn! I wonder where Spielberg dreamed up P-51 "tankbusters", or mortar bombs used as hand grenades?! After I finish reading Col. Moore's book, I plan to see "We Were Soldiers" again.
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Summary: Fathers. Brothers. Husbands & Sons.
Review: 'We Were Soldiers' is one of the most moving and meaningful war films ever made. Unlike 'Black Hawk Down', 'We Were Soldiers' brings you inside the war to the people. You really get to know the soldiers, you really feel for them. Randall Wallace brilliantly combines the two most important aspects of the Vietnam; the battlefield and the families at home. Many films try to do this, not many succeed. Wallace does this by dedicating the first 40+ minutes to the familiarization of the characters and families. While the battle is raging, Wallace frequently flashes back to the army base where the wives are faced with the difficult task of distributing death notices. Mel Gibson puts forth a brilliant and moving performance as Lt. Colonel Hal Moore. Gibson masters this role. We can be sure that his portrayal of Moore is accurate because he worked with the real Hal Moore while filming. He became Moore, right down to the way he walked! Madeleine Stowe also puts forth an impressive and emotionally driven performance as Gibson's/Moore's wife, Julie Moore. I heard that she too worked with the real Julie Moore to help herself master the role. The battle scenes are terrifyingly realistic and haunting. I've never seen anything like it. I must mention one particularly haunting scene;
The boys are lying in the bush at night with their guns aimed into the darkness before them. Two terrified soldiers begin to whisper to each other; where's the enemy? "I can smell them, they're here" proclaims one. They can't see anything. It's pitch black. The soldiers can barely breath. One whispers into his radio for a flare to be thrown into the woods in front of them so that they might see where their enemy is at. The flare come, the woods light up. The silhouettes of the Vietnamese appear. They are only inches from where they lay. This is only one of the many haunting and unforgettable moments in 'We Were Soldiers'. It took my breath away. 'We Were Soldiers' is such an emotional film! I found myself sobbing by the time the credits were rolling. I wasn't the only one, either. Grown men were crying as well. We cried for the lost lives and the pain. We cried for the families and the sacrifices our boys made. This film really helped me to understand what happened in Vietnam and how it affected the families and those who lived through it. I honor them.
Rating:
Summary: It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This
Review: Although "The Deerhunter" will always hold a special place in my heart, I must say that "We Were Soldiers" is the finest film on the Vietnam War to date. How reassuring to see humane portrayals of men in arms--of men who make a career of service and devotion to country, whether American or Vietnamese. If, like me, you've grown weary and wary of war films that depict officers as inept or gung ho, soldiers as bewildered, misled, and demented, you will enjoy this film. As one whose father served in that war twice, it touches a cord. This is also the first film to show how the families must cope with daddies in combat. The scene between the Gibson character and his youngest daughter is poignant and reminiscent of Stewart talking to his sick daughter in "It's A Wonderful Life." No Hollywood glitz and distortion here. Neither is there too much lecturing and political statement making as you see in the Stone and Kubrick films. Even the drill instructor is believable in his role. The focus, to be sure, is on the officers of these men. The film is not without moments of humor but the pathos pervades it. The scenes of Gibson reviewing history books on the French fiasco in Nam in the 1950's and Custer's Last Stand are eerie and instructive. THIS IS THE ONLY 'NAM FILM that shows the actions of a single military offensive from start to finish. Gibson is superb in this role despite what others have said. He is visceral but also contemplative--a delicate balance worthy of academy award consideration. This film will get overlooked by the academy because it is too thoughtful for a war film but don't let yourself be deprived of its endearment and lessons, and stirring but not exaggerated portrayals. These are real men thrust into unreal circumstances. Although the Vietnamese perspective is brief and appears a token gesture of concern, the commander of their forces is a good counterbalance to Gibson's--he, too, is well-reasoned, not demonic. The scenes of the housewives are also unforgettable. Two arms up!
Rating:
Summary: We Were Soldiers
Review: Vietnam Veterans can finally say "They got it right this time". We Were Soldiers is based on a true story and does a great job of telling that story in part. Although the film is mostly about a three day battle that the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry fought in the Ia Drang Valley and does not bring to light the complete battle which was fought by almost the entire 1st Cavalry Division, it does capture that battle realistically. The truth is that we were not the drug abusing, baby killers portrayed in other war films about Vietnam and our enemies were not a bunch of rag-tag pajama wearing idiots with guns.
Rating:
Summary: 'Nam before Mission Creep
Review:
"We Were Soldiers" is the best war film to come out in a long, long time. It's non-fiction without patriotic propoganda or nostalgic, or preachiness, like 'Pearl Harbor,' and 'Saving Private Ryan.' Despite the comments of some reviewers, this movie wasn't promoting patriotism. It was a highly technical portrayal of modern battle, and the concequences of sending your troops into battle. If anything, the movie was somewhat of a tragedy, because despite the altruism of Lt. Col Hal Moore and his men, their actions would ultimately be in vain.
The movie was a refreshing 'Nam film because it focused on the war at its very outset, when the troops being sent there didn't think of the war we do now. At the time, it was just another American war in which we'll go, fight for our country, and come out victorious, like always. But even in this movie, you can see where politics and institutionalized stupidity were creeping into the Army. Just look for the scene, when Moore is desperately needed on the ground to, A: Conduct the battle, B: Matintain the morale, trust and confidence of his men, and C: for moral reasons, his commander tries to recall him to Saigon so Gen. Westmoreland can have a 'briefing.' WTF? It's a credit to Moore's character and leadership qualities that he told the brass to go screw themselves. Doing so meant he put the lives of his men above his own, and above his own career.
As a military vet, I knew a lot of officers who would have jumped at the chance to get out of that hell hole. Fortunately, I knew an equal amount who would have said, "You want a briefing? Fly down here and we'll 'brief' you!" The latter types were the only ones who instilled loyalty in their men. The fish rots from the head. If you have a bunch of great guys with a lousy leader, you're going to have a lousy unit, no matter what. But even if you have a bunch of jerks with a great leader, you can have a great unit. Moore's presence on the battlefield was probably essential to their victory. When troops are patted on the back by their CO, it's a huge boost in confidence and morale. When the CO is never around, or even worse, is gone, the rumor mill starts flying, troops feel like 'they' (the officers) aren't trustworthy, and that the soldiers are fighting for the wrong reasons. Moore was the type of commander who would never let his troops think about the battalion terms of 'us' (enlisted) and 'them' (officers). Moore's troops thought of the battalion as 'us.'
I saw a couple discrepencies in the film at first glance. 1 - a soldier getting on the bus in Georgia with a magazine in his rifle. No way. 2 - I'm 95% sure they had metal canteens in 65, but they had plastic ones in the movie.
Also, I'm not sure why the soldiers didn't dig in on the perimeter. They maintained a perimeter for a long time, overnight even, and in my training we would always dig, dig, dig anytime you stop and hold turf.
I liked how the Vietnamese were portrayed. Despite having no air support and no artillery they fought as well as they could, and tried to 'hug the belt' of the Americans. This lead the Americans to call in air support on themselves, leading to casualties. It was good when they showed how scared the Vietnamese were, because in most movies they're portrayed as being somehow ghost-like, inhuman, when in fact they were damn scared, just like our guys. Going against American firepower, not to mention guys who are physically up to twice your weight and on average six inches taller, took a lot of nerve.
Overall a great film. It showed the US Military in its 60s prime, the tragic consequnces of using military force, and it also showed the home front, and how military wives are actually part of the battles we fight. I highly recommend this to anyone.
-- JJ Timmins
Rating:
Summary: See it!!!
Review: We Were Soldiers is the war film I enjoyed the most since Saving Private Ryan (Well, ok, I haven't seen Black Hawk Down yet... my Uncle told me it's good... I'll check it out later). Unlike the horrible, stupid Ben Affleck Pearl Harbor [movie], We Were Soldiers is watchable, moving, and mostly very accurate about the war (maybe 80% true & 20% fiction). I almost cried during the film... The typical Hollywood "We American nice, you enemy bad" black and white boring nonsense is toned down in this movie. (Some movie direcotrs just don't understand that the main characters are only great if the enemy is a worthy opponent) Of course we still identify with Lt. Col. Moore & American side, but the film sort of give you an idea of what it's like for the other side. Mel Gibson is a good actor as always, this one reminds me of his Braveheart performance (In case you have been living under a rock, Braveheart is also a good flick, if not historically accurate). The story of We Were Soldiers starts out a bit slow, but in the process you get to understand the character more, not a bad trade off. The war scene is a bit confusing, but that's how the war is supposed to be anyways. I think the director does the good job conveying what's happening thru Lt. Col. Moore & enemy General's commands & tactics. You could kind of understand what's going on even if you are not a military fan (Heck, if my "I-like-Britney-Spear" friend could grasp most part, you should be able to, too. And NO, I didn't have anyone else to go with at the time). In sum, I highly recommand it. I will definitely consider buying the DVD when it comes out, if the price is right (Hey I know I am a cheapskate, but some DVD are just tempting... we'll see =p ).
Rating:
Summary: BEST PATRIOTIC, REALISTIC MOVIE EVER.
Review: THIS MOVIE MOVED ME TO TEARS, I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW REALLISTIC IT WAS. IF YOU WEREN'T PATRIOTIC WHEN YOU ENTERED THE THEATER, YOU WERE WHEN YOU LEFT. MY HUSBAND JOHN MORRIS LIVED THE SAME ERA THAT THE MOVIE WAS BASED ON. HE FLEW MEDIVAC DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. HE DIDN'T FEEL AS IF HE COULD GO AND SEE THE MOVIE SO I WENT ALONE. WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I WAS STILL IN TEARS AND SPEECHLESS. I CONSIDER MYSELF A PATRIOTIC PERSON, BUT HAVE NEVER VIEWED A FILM THAT MOVED ME LIKE THIS ONE DID. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID "I DON'T SEE HOW ANY OF THE MEN THAT EXPERIENCED THE VIETNAM CONFLICT COULD EVER COME HOME SANE AND IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY SAW AND HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE." THEN THE WAY THEY WERE TREATED WHEN THEY RETURNED HOME TO A COUNTRY THEY DEFENDED WITH THEIR LIVES. THEY LITERALLY WENT FROM HAND TO HAND COMBAT TO THE ARMS OF THEIR LOVED ONES IN A MATTER OF 48/72 HOURS, IMAGINE THAT. WHAT A TRADEGY THAT WE AS AMERICANS COULD TREAT THESE YOUNG 18 & 19 YR OLD MEN WITH SUCH UNJUSTICE AND MAKE THEM FEEL ASHAMED OF WHAT THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SENT THEM TO VIETNAM TO DO. THIS MOVIE WILL MAKE YOU APPRECIATE THESE VIETNAM VETS MORE THAN EVER. IT WAS NOT FAIR TO THEM WHAT THEY HAD TO FACE OVER THERE. THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR OR WHO THEY WERE FIGHTING, NEVER KNOWING WHO THE ENEMY REALLY WAS. MEL GIBSON WAS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER, HE PLAYED THE PART PERFECTLY. I HOPE IT HAS MOVED HIM AS MUCH AS IT DID ME.
Rating:
Summary: A 'NAM movie that is not negative
Review: Platoon, Full Metal Jacket...These movies show the side of veitnam we americans have been shown since grade school..a lost war. The war we lost. Well not anymore. It's about time a vietnam movie was made that show the world what happened in that war, not just the bad. The air cavalry, men and women that brought hope to every soldier in the field. Gibson is not only heroic, but inspirational. The violence was not overly used. It showed the real face of war. Those boys died defending their position and all we can think of vietnam is what a tragedy we lost it. The soliders won their war, it was the nation as a whole that lost. Lost because of lack of ideals. The end of the movie brings one thing to my mind, besides tears..The picture most of you have seen in malls and thought nothing of..The executive with his hand on the vietnam wall with his fallen brothers on the other side of that wall with their hands raised to meet the one of them that is still alive. Col. Moore is not only a leader of the 7th calvary, but is a hero to all men who bleed and died for a country that did not give a [darn] about them...and a hero to me as well...God bless America!
Rating:
Summary: We Were Soldiers Review
Review: Absolutly the best war movie I have ever seen, and I have missed very few the past 25 years. Clearly indicates the spirit of the US Army Infantry AND the tremendous leadership skills and human elements of Col Hal Moore; who by the way retired a 3 star, or Lt General.
I know a retired Airborne Ranger who lives here, that served with Col Moore on 2 out of 3 tours in Viet Nam. This professional and decorated soldier ,speaking of Col Moore claims the movie doesen't even cover to the level deserved re his leadership, bravery under fire and just being a great human being. He was "Simply the Best". Col Moore is 80 now and I believe in pretty good shape. He consulted on this movie and people half his age struggled to keep up with his effort and energy, to insure an accurate and professtional movie was produced ,that told it like it was!!!
This originally came out 4-5 years ago as a book "We were young once--and Soldiers" It is still available and I highly recommend it as great reading. "Airborne---All the Way"
Rating: 
Summary: A faithful adaptation, and an absorbing film...
Review: were created when the partnership of Mel Gibson and Randall Wallace brought General Harold Moore's, "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young" to the screen. Seeking to portray the vast majority of American soldiers, those who believed wholeheartedly in the early days of the conflict (1965), Moore's viewpoint is in contrast to so many other Nam movies which portray the soldiers' despair after staying "in country" for months, and falling prey to the brutality, drugs and hopelessness of their surroundings.
Moore & Wallace convey one of the best portraits of military wives ever brought to the screen, and perhaps focus on the women affected by Nam more than any film since Jane Fonda was featured in "Coming Home". I think there may have been better choices to portray Moore than Gibson. He is larger than life in battle, but, for some reason, awkward in portraying his premonitions and uncharacteristically wooden as a father. Gibson, however, will draw audiences to the film, and thus, the reception the film gets will be widespread - and it needs to be seen. Settings and music are brilliant, and the battle scenes, although perhaps too graphic, are vivid and realistic. Of particular note for their intensity are the shots of the North Vietnamese soldiers, silently approaching the American bunkers in incredible numbers, when the GI's call for "illumination". It is clear how the superior air cover of the US succeeded in allowing an outnumbered and outflanked force to defeat a much larger and entrenched enemy in this battle. The shots of chopper after chopper departing with the dead and wounded, and the appalling odds that the field medics were up against will leave you in sorrow. The North Vietnamese commander, however, expresses himself with a great premonition "... it is too bad the Americans have won the battle, for the outcome is destined, and the results of this battle will just make the outcome stretch out in a longer and more bloody fashion"....and it came to pass. Supporting players are adequate - Greg Kinnear shines in his role as a chopper pilot, Keri Russell is surprisingly believable as the wife of a young soldier, although the soldier, played by Chris Klein, is wooden in his role. Barry Pepper is outstanding as reporter Joseph Galloway, a noncombatant on the front lines who finds himself having to defend in the battle. I am usually a fan of Sam Elliott, but he is a little too much of a caricature in this picture. Lastly, the beautiful role given to the once-luminous Madeleine Stowe is wasted. Although she is enough of an actress to have played this well at one time, it would seem that someone who is more of a leader of women should have been cast (Maura Tierney, Mary Steenburgen?). Frankly, Stowe has apparently allowed herself to be the victim of a very bad collagen procedure on her lips, and the destruction this has played on her once beautiful face allows the viewer to focus on only this and wonder ---"What was she thinking?" The finale of the film is touching, and does a good job wrapping up what is certainly the first important film of 2002. Go see it, but be warned about the violence!
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