IslandGuru Who payed the critics
Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?
Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!
GeorgiaDixie As a vet and from a family where every male is a vet, I have to say this movie is one of the reasons why there is still a vastly skewed view of the Vietnam War in popular culture. I do believe the film has it's good points, but its damage to the common view of Vietnam vets is undeniable. I realize Oliver Stone was a vet, but the view is obviously one-sided. Charlie Sheen's character is based on him and therefore every character is seen through him. Everyone who smokes dope and hangs out in the psychedelic bunker are certainly the good guys and are of course the heroic, top-grade soldiers. Their "leader" is Willem Dafoe's Elias. Meanwhile the other side, led by Tom Berenger's Barnes, are just a bunch of dumb rednecks. They sleep in a bunkhouse with Confederate battle flags on the wall, drink beer and whiskey, and listen to Merle Haggard. In the field they are either incompetent cowards or crazed murderers who kill unarmed innocent women and children for fun. If you want a more realistic portrayal of the ground war in Vietnam, We Were Soldiers is your best bet, followed closely by The Green Berets (at least the first two-thirds, before the "commando" mission) and the Vietnam part of Forrest Gump.
strogan Good scenario, very poor weapon shot effects. all this red lights like in star wars. i dont know why but it was in fury(with brad pit) film too. sound is 3/10 weapon sound hearts my ears for 1986 it is not best movie in technical. i could remove 1 point for plane effects and bomb effect. but ok. using real planes and real napalm( which i want to see) is for best films. director showed difficulties of vietnam like snakes, ants etc so +1 point for that. i didnt see that much i felt vietnam my own, so 8/10 from me
lordfeanor-37341 The movie is about a young man (Chris Taylor), who in his efforts to find out his place in society, decides to enlist as a volunteer in the American army, during the Vietnam War. Chris, at the beginning, faces a lot of difficulties concerning his survival in such a cruel and harsh environment. While he is beginning to acclimatize, he has to deal with important ethical issues that come along with his more active involvement in the battles with the Vietnamese. Two men, Sergeant Gordon Elias and Sergeant Robert Barnes, are the two voices in Chris' head, just like the little angel and the little devil flying over our shoulders, that shape him and his moral code throughout his stay in Vietnam and stigmatize him for the rest of his life. Oliver Stone in a masterful manner in this movie, demonstrates the alienation, caused by such a bloody war, to those who wage it, whether they are high rank officials or just a private. The movie is a cry for the poor youth of his country, that was wrongfully wasted in this war, but also for the civilians, who are the ones who suffer the most by the hands of the two sides fighting this war. A very strong cast of actors, who all give their best selves to succeed in ing through the message the director was trying to send with this exceptional movie, but the point of interest, as far as acting is concerned, is Tom Berenger's powerful performance.
bgar-80932 Probably the best Vietnam war movie I've ever seen. Most are too depressing to really enjoy and this one is depressing too but it works for me. It shows all the terrible side of this war even men turning on each other and probably the best character killed by someone in his own crew. It's raw and not uplifting but it's really well acted and I like it more than the others I've seen. Apocalypse Now is one of the other classics for this war and I really didn't like it at all. Willem Dafoe was great.
