Best Vietnam War film

[guy incognito]

Well, what's your pick?

[Tyler]

Full Metal Jacket, one of my favorite Kubrick films.

[Clay]

Good Morning, Vietnam

[Oatsdad]

"Apocalypse Now". Flawed but excellent - Coppola's last really good movie, at least if we subtract the final third. Can't friggin' stand "Full Metal Jacket" - probably Kubrick's worst flick.

[Arthur]

Again "Apocalypse Now", one of my all time top ten movies, maybe even top three. A Coppola masterpiece.

[Claus]

Full Metal Jacket

[Dave]

I'm with Tyler, I thought Full Metal Jacket was incredible.

[ksmitty]

I would have to vote "Full Metal Jacket" .

[reidc]

I have seen Hamburger Hill many times, and has always been one of my fav's. Maybe it just stuck in my mind for all these years as being awesome. I remember right after my brother got his first HiFi VCR(Akai)- this is the movie he played first. What really got me- was the sound effect of the helicopter fading in on one side, and going "across" your soundfield as it did so visually on screen. I will always remember that, as it was a "first" in effects for me. It is not unusual now.

I have never seen Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now. I have seen Platoon, which was ok. What's the one with Micheal J Fox? Is that Casualties of War?

Green Berets was always good as well.

Chris

[FredCamp]

You left out GO TELL THE SPARTANS.

[thegage]

The "Other" category could include a lot of films: "A Bright Shining Lie," "Boys in Company C," "Bat 21," "Big Wednesday", "84 Charlie Mopic," arguably "M*A*S*H", maybe even "Thin red Line," etc. etc. This link takes a pretty braod swipe, but gives you some idea of how many depending on how you define the subject.

http://www.sru.edu/depts/artsci/engl/dpitard/vietnamfilms.htm

John K.

[daveman]

I voted for Deer Hunter. I thought Full Metal Jacket was uneven -- the first half was brilliant, the second half was a stinker...(except for the ending).

[Bob Lovely]

According to the Vietnam veterans I have known through the years, the film that portrays being a soldier in the Vietnam War the most accurately is:

Full Metal Jacket

A number of them commented that because the film begins in basic training and concludes in Vietnam, this is the most accurate representation on film of the experience. I certainly recommend this film. After you view it, play Paul Hardcastle's "19" and the track will suddenly make much greater sense...

Bob

[Jefhart]

Apocalypse Now, one of the best films ever made in any genre.

Jeff

[Ken_McAlinden]

I voted for "The Killing Fields". In any case, don't forget some of the great documentaries on the subject such as "Hearts and Minds" and "The Fog of War".

Regards,

[EC3970]

I voted for "The Killing Fields". In any case, don't forget some of the great documentaries on the subject such as "Hearts and Minds" and "The Fog of War".

Regards,

But does the Killing Fields really qualify? Isn't this Cambodia after the US left Vietnam?

Full Metal Jacket is a mess, I'd vote for Apocalypse Now although I haven't seen the director's cut.


Some war movies were indirectly about Vietnam, Patton and MASH came out the same year each with a different stance on the war.

Although maybe Patton was more of a character study

[clayton]

Apocalypse Now for me, the direstors cut is great.

[pdenny]

HANOI HILTON, with Michael Moriarty. Ever wonder what John McCain really went through? See this.

[Ken_McAlinden]

But does the Killing Fields really qualify? Isn't this Cambodia after the US left Vietnam?It qualifies for me. The war isn't over when the film begins, and it is about the aftermath of the Vietnam war in the region where it occured. It is as much a Vietnam war film as titles such as Coming Home and Born on the Fourth of July, which primarily deal with American lives after returning from the war.

Plus, it was on the poll list. :)

Regards,

[Oatsdad]

Full Metal Jacket is a mess, I'd vote for Apocalypse Now although I haven't seen the director's cut.


Don't bother - it harms the film. Adds unnecessary material and ruins the pacing. The film's first 2/3rds didn't need to be touched - it was the third act that sucked. Unfortunately, "Redux" mostly messes with the parts that weren't broken...

[Oatsdad]

According to the Vietnam veterans I have known through the years, the film that portrays being a soldier in the Vietnam War the most accurately is:

Full Metal Jacket

A number of them commented that because the film begins in basic training and concludes in Vietnam, this is the most accurate representation on film of the experience.

So a lot of them knew mentally deficient screw-ups who blew their brains out in basic? :rolleyes:

IMO, even if the flick were accurate, that doesn't make it good. Oh heck, if anyone cares, here are my long thoughts on the movie: http://www.dvdmg.com/fullmetaljacketnew.shtml

As for others in this thread:

"Redux": http://www.dvdmg.com/apocalypsenowredux.shtml
"Apocalypse Now" (original cut): http://www.dvdmg.com/apocalypsenow.shtml
"Platoon": http://www.dvdmg.com/platoonse.shtml
"Born on the Fourth of July": http://www.dvdmg.com/bornonthefourth.shtml
"Heaven and Earth": http://www.dvdmg.com/heavenandearth.shtml
"Deer Hunter": http://www.dvdmg.com/deerhunter.shtml

[vconsumer]

Apocalypse Now gets my vote. Great film based on a brilliant screenplay based on a great book (Conrad's "Heart of Darkness").

Full Metal Jacket gets my vote for the best line: "It's a huge **** sandwich and we're all gonna have to take a bite."

[vconsumer]

So a lot of them knew mentally deficient screw-ups who blew their brains out in basic?

I think what he's getting at is the sheer brutality of basic training and what it does to innocence, not the specifics of FMJ.

[Bob Lovely]

I think what he's getting at is the sheer brutality of basic training and what it does to innocence, not the specifics of FMJ.

Exactly...

Bob :)

[ratskrad]

Tuff chioces as Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite films of all time, and Full Metal Jacket is up there as well but for realistically portraying the Vietnam conflict I had to go with Platoon.