vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 There are quite a few males on here now I have noticed so I thought I would start a Vietnam film thread. Although of course females are welcome. My top three Vietnam films are: Apocalypse Now , Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. I don't think Apolalypse Now suffers at all from being a rip of Heart Of Darkness. Loads of good scenes in it but the Air Cav assault takes some beating. Seeing all the choppers flying in formation to kick ass. The men patting the loaded helicopter rocket pods like fetish objects. Then the surreal elements like Kilgore making his men surf while a battle is going on. Platoon is like a coming of age film and the characters of the two sergeants fighting for possession of Taylors' soul as he puts it. And that fantastic mother of all battles at the end. Full Metal Jacket. I read the book by Gustav Hasford (the shorttimers) before I saw the film and I thought it interesting how they transposed Joker's narrative into the mouths of other characters for the film version. Definitely a film of two very different halves and a commentary on how "training" a youth to be a soldier is in fact indoctrinating them how to kill, changing them for ever. Anybody care to agree/disagree/talk about other films? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 I remember reading somewhere at the time it came out that the makers of 'Platoon' sent the actors of to boot camp, and told them they had to see it through or they'd be off the movie. Apparently it had the desired result of getting them all into shape and working as a cohesive team. Great film, such a great film. Another I recall watching years ago was 'Hamburger Hill', and the visceral capturing of the pointlessness of this type of conflict. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Those are exactly my three favourites (even though I'm a girlie - LOL!), but FMJ is my favourite. M I C K E Y M O U S E Mickey Mouse... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Carson Whit Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 I love FMJ, the drill sergeant is just brilliant No Vietnam war film thread can go without a mention for one of the greatest films ever made - The Deer Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eck Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Hamburger Hill is not bad. As a student I spent many a night staying up late watching Tour of duty on TV. I wouldn't mind seeing a film made from the Vietnamese viewpoint, most of the american films tend to portray them as evil commies to be machine gunned down en masse, wereas every american death is a tagedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 I love FMJ, the drill sergeant is just brilliant No Vietnam war film thread can go without a mention for one of the greatest films ever made - The Deer Hunter OH NO Johnny!! I was hoping no-one would mention The Deer Hunter!! I thought it was **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemz Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Does Good Morning Vietnam count? I love that movie!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Hamburger Hill is not bad. As a student I spent many a night staying up late watching Tour of duty on TV. I wouldn't mind seeing a film made from the Vietnamese viewpoint, most of the american films tend to portray them as evil commies to be machine gunned down en masse, wereas every american death is a tagedy. We Were Soldiers is not too bad in that respect Eck, if you can ignore the parts with Mel Gibson. There IS a film about a female Viet Cong fighter....my wife saw it late one night and got into it but couldn't remember the title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Carson Whit Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 OH NO Johnny!! I was hoping no-one would mention The Deer Hunter!!I thought it was **** It takes a while to get going but it's an absolute classic that launched the careers of some major American actors. The Russian Roulette scene is one of the most harrowing scenes in any film ever made, with that Vietnamese soldier shouting 'Mao' all the time it makes me shiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Does Good Morning Vietnam count? I love that movie!! Forgot about that one Gemz! Only saw that once and can't remember it much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemz Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 I saw it once and really like it, I got it on DVD but bought it in America and doesn't seem to work in my player! Gutted but hey no worries!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 It takes a while to get going but it's an absolute classic that launched the careers of some major American actors. The Russian Roulette scene is one of the most harrowing scenes in any film ever made, with that Vietnamese soldier shouting 'Mao' all the time it makes me shiver. I guess you are right Johnny, that is another one I only watched once long ago and much younger so maybe I didn't understand it as well as I should have.. it will never knock off one of my top 3 though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Carson Whit Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 I guess you are right Johnny, You sound so convinced I'd recommend giving it another go, and be aware and accept that it does take about 60-90 mins to get into the action, it's a very very long film, but the overall experience is a draining one and at the end you will appreciate the slow build up and character development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 I saw it once and really like it, I got it on DVD but bought it in America and doesn't seem to work in my player! Gutted but hey no worries!! Ah you need an all-region DVD player. Or you can play it on your PC with a bit of downloaded software, look on google for the program , think it is called VCL player or something like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Platoon is amazing, I saw a documentary about it and was even more impressed with the actors, and with Oliver Stone, since he was willing to open up about his painful past. I also think Apocalypse Now is great, as is Good Morning Vietnam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemz Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Ah you need an all-region DVD player. Or you can play it on your PC with a bit of downloaded software, look on google for the program , think it is called VCL player or something like that Yeh I was told that afterward, but I just gave it to my dad as he has an all-regional one , I'll get another copy one day I'm sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Univerze Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Does Good Morning Vietnam count? I love that movie!! Me too, about the only Vietnam film I can stomach hee hee, I really don't like them usually, as with most war films. There are just a few I find good to watch, and trust me, I've seen em all pretty much. My dad loved war movies, all sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemz Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I've seen a few usual ones tho : Platoon and Apocalypse Now but to be honest can't remember much of them, my boyfriend likes films like this, so I just sit thro them lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Go Tell The Spartans is a solid movie, far less pretentious than the classics thus far mentioned. I can't say I care much for the classics, except for the first half of Full-Metal Jacket ("what is your major malfunction, numnutz?") and the surfing scene from Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"). I kind of agree with Frank Kermode's famous dismissal of The Deer Hunter - "one of the worst films ever made,a rambling self indulgent, self aggrandising barf-fest steeped in manipulatively racist emotion, and notable primarily for its farcically melodramatic tone which is pitched somewhere between shrieking hysteria and somnambulist somberness". An interesting movie sub-genre covers the effect of the war on the USA homefront. Who'll Stop the Rain, directed by a Brit, Karel Reisz, from a Robert Stone novel, features the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival and an absolutely great Nick Nolte performance. It describes with frightening clarity the introduction of the drug culture into mainstream life, and the loss of the heroic self-image us Americans still mourn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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