We Were Soldiers (A Movie Must See)

http://www.weweresoldiers.com/main.html ^ | 2/10/02 | www.weweresoldiers.com

[paltz]

Plot Summary for We Were Soldiers (2002)

In a place soon to be known as The Valley of Death, in a small clearing called landing zone X-Ray, Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) and 400 young fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, all troopers from an elite American combat division, were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history. We Were Soldiers Once...And Young is a tribute to the nobility of those men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another.

[paltz]

I just came from a screening of this film and Vietnam vets on this forum will be satisfied by the Randall Wallace film, which tells the true story of the Vietnam War...not Ollie Stone's. THIS IS NOT PLATOON!!! or any other left wing banter film about Vietnam for Hollywood.

[Timmy]

Do they just do "X-Ray" or do they do "Albany", also?

[paltz]

This focuses in on X-Ray.

[Joe 6-pack]

During my last two years in the Army, I went TDY to Benning about one week every month to prepare reservists and national guardsmen for Bosnia deployments. I was priveleged to meet and work with Ernie Savage (lost platoon), who held a civillian job in the Threat Analysis division at the Infantry schoolhouse. His friends and coworkers in the office would refer to him as, "a war hero," and he'd blush. I did get him to autograph my copy of, "We Were Soldiers..."

I'll be interested to see how the film squares with the book.

Then I'll await the screen version of Hackworth's, "About Face."

[ctonious]

I guess this movie goes to show that as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are less and less liberals in towering skyscrapers and 767's, the self-centered hypocrites. It's welcome that these Vietnam vets are finally honored by Hollywood for their service, but sickening at the same time as to why it finally comes about.

[MsLady]

I'm always suspicious of hollywood but, there does seems to be a real change in movies hollywood is making these days. Seems like they are making more with moral and conservative story lines. Wonder what's up? Hollywood growing a moral backbone? Or just following the money?

[oldvike]

I look forward to seeing this movie. I've read numerous stories on this horrible battle and look forward to seeing these brave men memorialized in non-liberal film.

[LadyDoc]

The time lag of two years to make a film suggests the film was planned and filmed before 911. The leading man is Mel Gibson, so that might be one reason Hollywood is willing to allow a conservative bent.

[VOA]

Shame on me for not having read the book yet.
A couple years back I read a short article that Jack Smith (of ABC News) wrote
for the Saturday Evening Post about his experiences during the battle as a grunt.

Simply horrific.

I get the feeling that this won't be an "anti-war" or "pro-war" movie,
but more a movie about how some unsung heroes (to the general US public)
survived the height of battle.

Even the curmuddgeons among us might think about packing a few hankies for
this flick.

[4TheFlag]

Thanks for this Thread, I plan on seeing this movie..I LOVED Gibson's last one "The Patriot"

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[MsLady]

Ah, Mel, what a man, wish there were more in hollywierd like him!!!!!! That does explain some things. I know this movie was made before 9/11. I don't think that's why they changed, because all the movies I've seen in the last few months were made before 9/11. I saw the Wedding Planner and there have been several other films of late I've seen that were more like the older movies. Moral, leaning more to conservative values, and respectful of Christianity.

[leadpenny]

I just came from a screening of this film.....

Howdja get to do that?

I'm looking forward to it. I have appreaciated all of the Nam flicks starting with "Go Tell The Spartans." But this one better be good. It's takes place in the same area (Ia Drang) where the NVA got my cherry as a new Huey Driver about 15 months after the 1st Cav got into it.

Ping to you, Aloha.

[IronJack]

Hollywood growing a moral backbone? Or just following the money?

Given the history, let's just say I'd be skeptical about the former, and much more inclined to the latter explanation. In this case, the means justify the end.

[GOP Jedi]

Wallace and Gibson have juice enough to do a movie their way. They're both Christians, and see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.

For example, they both agreed that prayer was an important component of "Braveheart." Wallace was less successful in getting a religious element into "Pearl Harbor," but from remarks he's made, I get the impression he tried.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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[tpaine]

"I'm always suspicious of hollywood but, there does seems to be a real change in movies hollywood is making these days. Seems like they are making more with moral and conservative story lines. Wonder what's up? Hollywood growing a moral backbone? Or just following the money?"

--------------------------In a way, they are following the money. -- Individuals pay the box office money, and individuals are getting more aware that really big government is hazardous to their health.

IMO, everyone, even hollywood moguls, have come to the conclusion that societies control freaks have gone too far.

[x1stcav]

Damned you're lucky to get an early showing. I've viewed the website and am taken by the attention to historical detail to the uniforms, weaponry, and the general feeling of the times that they've apparently recreated. I am hopeful that this will translate into historical accuracy that's been missing in every film to date about the war with some exceptions such as 84CharlieMopic(Correct MOS/Title?). When this battle occured, I was a junior at UCLA and can still remember the headlines in the LA Times (As I recall, on my birthday in '65). That did it for me. As far as I was concerned, the 1st Cav was the greatest fighting unit ever. I later enlisted. As I went through Benning OCS I frequently heard about this engagement. The awe of some of the veteran instructors who'd fought there when describing the events of those days is still memorable. Those who'd been at Albany gave me an even greater sense of awe but for entirely different reasons. I later got to serve with the Cav and came out of the service proudly wearing the divisional patch on my right shoulder and Garry Owen regimental crests on my epaulets. Finest unit I ever put time in. I have to admit, I've been visiting the We Were Soldiers website frequently. Anybody who's ever taken part in a Charlie Alpha can probably appreciate the adrenalin rush I still get whenever I hear the whump, whump of a slick's blades. It's a sound I'll go to the grave with. Anyone who is interested in doing any background reading before seeing the movie should find an early 1983 issue of Soldier of Fortune (March? April?) for an article by Joe Galloway that was the lead-in for the book. There's material here that doesn't appear in the book.

[TrueBrit]

Interesting that two films to emerge here are 'the Patriot' and 'braveheart', seeing as both were universally slagged off as being pretty fast and loose with the actual history.

I note that the bruce willis' of this brave industry still haven't overcome their unwillingness to fly to Europe. 'die hard' eh?

Interesting times.

[MotleyGirl70]

I plan to read the book first then see the movie.

This movie I WILL see on the big screen.