We Were Soldiers

Watch: We Were Soldiers

3/1/20022h 18m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Father,Husband,Brother No Man is Just a Soldier ~

Overview:

The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War and the soldiers on both sides that fought it.

Director:

Randall Wallace

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$75,000,000.00

Revenue:

$114,660,784.00

Key words:

vietnam war
vietnam veteran
hero
army
based on novel or book
steel helmet
missile
based on true story
major
soldier
explosion
battle
bayonet
death
military
vietnamese
1960s
soldiers
war
intense
compassionate

Cast

Mel Gibson

~ as ~

Lt. Col. Hal Moore

Madeleine Stowe

~ as ~

Julie Moore

Greg Kinnear

~ as ~

Maj. Bruce 'Snake' Crandall

Sam Elliott

~ as ~

Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley

Chris Klein

~ as ~

2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan

Keri Russell

~ as ~

Barbara Geoghegan

Barry Pepper

~ as ~

Joe Galloway

Đơn Dương

~ as ~

Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An

Ryan Hurst

~ as ~

Sgt. Ernie Savage

Robert Bagnell

~ as ~

1st Lt. Charlie Hastings

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
6
Mel Gibson ("Col. Moore") takes charge of training for, and then execution of, a perilous operation in the Vietnamese highlands in 1965. We know from the start of the film how difficult that task is going to be - the previous French troops met with ruthless treatment at the hands of the N.V.A. and so "Moore" and his motivational deputy "Crandall" (Greg Kinnear) know that they are going to have their work cut out for them. Their mission is to combat an enemy with overwhelming superiority of numbers and try to capture and hold a mountain. Needless to say, their hosts are none too keen on that a plan and what ensues is a brutally depicted, bloody and gory, series of well photographed combat scenes that test the mettle of both sides as the body count mounts. There is a poignant angle added too, as back home we see the colonel's wife "Julie" (Madeleine Stowe) take responsibility for delivery of the letters that are sent to the families on the base intimating bad - even tragic - news to those left behind. Sam Elliott adds well some stoic discipline as "Sgt. Maj. Plumley" and Chris Klein's portrayal of the recent father "Lt. Geoghegan" also contributes a strong human angle to this story. Sadly, though, this is all way too long and though certainly potent at the start, that is washed away in a sea of repetition. What makes us sit up and take notice at the start becomes much less effective; the pyrotechnics lose their impressiveness a bit and to be honest, Gibson just hasn't the on-screen presence to carry this for 2¼ hours. It does emphasise just how modern - airborne, usually - warfare can provide smaller groups with greater superiority and as an example of the ghastliness and futility of war it is a worth watching.