Best Vietnam War movie

[Lefty]

(Ivor Biggun @ Mar. 21 2010,15:32) For Lefty - I enjoyed We Were Soldiers- Sam Elliot was great. What spoiled it for me though was it looked like it was filmed in a field in California!

Good eye Ivor. Near as I can surmise, looking at the film locations used for We Were Soldiers, the battle scenes were filmed at Fort Hunter Liggett in California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hunter_Liggett

I agree about Sam too. From what I can gather reading about the real Basil Plumley, he got as close as an actor could get to an accurate depiction of an actual person.

[smuttleydfs]

Per soldiers that I know including one that was actually there Hamburger Hill was pretty much spot on. Appocolypse Now was the best movie but pretty sensationilized and Platoon was accurate from a liberal view

[JaiDee]

(smuttleydfs @ Mar. 21 2010,21:39) Platoon was accurate from a liberal view

I think Platoon and Hamburger Hill showed the most realistic views from the standpoint of a soldier though.

Oliver Stone, liberal??  who would ever guess??!!

I took my stepdad to Platoon when it hit the theaters in 1986; he was a WW2 veteran and had his share of REAL blood and guts fighting through Sicily and Italy  in 1943, leading his own "platoon'' as a 2nd lieutenant.  As we left that theater and for a while afterwards he had the look on his face of kind of; "please don't take me to another movie like that'' and we never even discussed the film; I think it was just too realistic and hit too close to home for my Pops, and may have  brought back some memories he would have preferred just stayed forgotten.

*Hint;  if you ever come across a war veteran who is willing or even TRYING to discuss his war days with you, my money would bet that he is a fraud and probably stayed in the back lines dishing out chow or mopping hospital floors; the veterans who were down there in the trenches don't want to discuss that shit.

[Ivor Biggun]

I'm with you on that one JD- it's amazing how many people you bump into around the world who have been in the SAS! It's difficult to discuss military stuff with people who have never served- they just don't get it but there are always Walts out there ready to pull up a sandbag. It doesn't take long to see through them.

[Naang Faa]

(strocube @ Mar. 18 2010,16:13) Tropic Thunder.

Agree 100%..

A shower of fools,in a country they shouldn't be in,with no
clue whatsoever!
x

[JaiDee]

(Ivor Biggun @ Mar. 21 2010,23:27) it's amazing how many people you bump into around the world who have been in the SAS!

I met some guy in a bar in San Diego once in the 80's....was a veteran from the war in Vietnam; I was a history buff same as now and wanted to ask him a bunch of questions.  He replied that he would simply rather not talk about it; I asked him a few more questions and he kept answering the same, until he was starting to get angry......of course at that point I backed off.  Same as my Stepdad he wanted nothing to do with talking about war, it's a horrible thing and I am sure once you've been through it you want to move on with your life and forget the whole experience.

Met another guy once, who happened to post on this message board years ago but doesn't anymore; a very strange sort.  He had no problems [and in fact enjoyed] discussing his 'Nam years, but when I tried to nail him down on positions and towns, battlefields, years of service, etc..... he drew a total blank.   Which quickly made me realize he was miles and miles from any front lines, sorting mail or working in the PX or the chow hall; IF he was a solider at all.

[jimslim]

(Instant Kama @ Mar. 20 2010,12:34) Jacobs Ladder

I'll agree with that , a great movie if I could only understand the end .

Maybe I'm stupid

[smuttleydfs]

(JaiDee @ Mar. 21 2010,11:00) *Hint;  if you ever come across a war veteran who is willing or even TRYING to discuss his war days with you, my money would bet that he is a fraud and probably stayed in the back lines dishing out chow or mopping hospital floors; the veterans who were down there in the trenches don't want to discuss that shit.

This is completely true...........In my professional career(s) I have been fortunate enough to actually become close friends with several vets from Vietnam. Who if you are just Joe Blow from the street they are not going to discuss any personal views with you but if they trust you and realize that you are not a clueless boob they will be more open with you.

Right now my co-worker was a crew chief in 68-69 for a brigade commander, usually a one star or a bird colonel, he has a few tales to tell but generally we stick with the more light side of things like when he and the gunner stayed out all night and heaved all over the general's chopper the next morning when they were called out at 0600 still drunk from the previous night. Needless to say the General was less then pleased and there was scrubbing of the Huey involved.

I know the subject of this thread is "Vietnam movies" but I would like to make reference to the best "war" movie I have ever seen. The Hurt Locker. I had the opportunity to work with EOD personnel and the movie doesn't stretch from the true personalities of some EOD soldiers, not all mind yoiu but some can be extremely INTENSE

[Lefty]

(jimslim @ Mar. 22 2010,03:21)

(Instant Kama @ Mar. 20 2010,12:34) Jacobs Ladder

I'll agree with that , a great movie if I could only understand the end .

Maybe I'm stupid  

I can tell you, at the risk of it spoiling the movie for someone who ain't seen it.

Simply put, the Tim Robbins character never left Vietnam. You see him get wounded and put on a stretcher. Then you get what seems to be a flash forward in time with him going to work in his postal uniform. Later some scenes where he visits the chiropractor, played by Danny Aiello. Remember right at the first when he and his friends are in Nam, and begin feeling the effects of the LSD (The Ladder). You see one of his friends get his leg completely blown off. In the scenes where it appears it's after the war back home and he is meeting his war buddies and they are talking about what happened in Nam. All those guys from the initial scene that we see suffer fatal wounds, are alive and part of that group. It was like a hint that all the stuff we see where it appears after the war and he is back home, is really just what is going through his mind as he is on that stretcher slowly dying and still feel effects from the LSD. As I recall, the very end, we see him back in Nam, and died in the aid station, and the dream sequence we saw him having ends of course at that point.

[ramboz]

I have had this 900 pound gorilla on my back for 46 years. Most of the time he leaves me alone, sometimes he raises holy hell with me. I'd rather not agitate him..When he gets restless I am the one who gets into trouble. He wakes me up from a horrible dream and expects me to function as a normal person. I have maintained a somewhat normal psych. Somedays I don't even go out of the house, I just stay inside the compound fearing I may get into real trouble.

My Viet Nam was not a movie !!

DANNO

[JaiDee]

(ramboz @ Mar. 22 2010,19:04) My Viet Nam was not a movie !!

STILL my number one hero after all these years, Danno!!

For those who don't know, Ramboz was a helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam; who served his term, and then VOLUNTEERED to go back and serve another year-long tour!! Amazing stuff, and meeting with him in Los Angeles in 2004 was one of the highlights of my decade; also loved the wartime photos you sent me, Danno.

A True and real-life American hero, and we don't have many of those anymore

[ramboz]

Thank You , MY FRIEND !!![U]

I am in the autumn of my years now, but if I ever get the call I am ready to go !!!

DANNO

[Lefty]

(JaiDee @ Mar. 21 2010,22:00) *Hint;  if you ever come across a war veteran who is willing or even TRYING to discuss his war days with you, my money would bet that he is a fraud and probably stayed in the back lines dishing out chow or mopping hospital floors; the veterans who were down there in the trenches don't want to discuss that shit.

I read the numbers once, and not totally sure on the exact pct, but from what I recall, only something like 3% of US Military stationed in VN actually saw combat.

Those pencil pushers, cooks, mechanics, etc, all did their duty too and were also heroes just by even being there. They had necessary jobs to do too and someone had to do them.

[Lefty]

(JaiDee @ Mar. 22 2010,20:24)

(ramboz @ Mar. 22 2010,19:04) My Viet Nam was not a movie !!

STILL my number one hero after all these years,  Danno!!

    For those who don't know, Ramboz was a helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam; who served his term, and then VOLUNTEERED to go back and serve another year-long tour!! Amazing stuff, and meeting with him in Los Angeles in 2004 was one of the highlights of my decade;  also loved the wartime photos you sent me, Danno.

  A True and real-life American hero, and we don't have many of those anymore    

I had the honor of also meeting Danno, as well as his beautiful wife,(who looks 20 yrs younger than her actual age) and two dogs, in his hometown in Sou Cal, in the spring of 2005. My experiences were the same. He is a wonderful human being and was a gracious host and I have the utmost love and respect for him.  

In Nov 2005, while I was sitting at Big Dogs, Bkk, who should I see walking into Nana Plaza? The man himself!! I began yelling Uncle Danny at him, and we had a hug and another good visit. Neither of us realized up to that point, that the other was in Thailand at the time. It was mere happenstance that we saw one another right then, so guess we were supposed to.

I Love you Uncle Danno!!!  

[Instant Kama]

Lefty......... what a spoil sport you are sir, did you enjoy it ?