I've watched quite a few. Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket are great films. IMO, Platoon is the best movie about the Vietnam War that has ever been made. I wasn't in Vietnam, but I know a lot of vets and most who have an opinion on the matter and have seen it, agree.
I remember going and seeing it when I was in ROTC and a bunch of other cadets just happened to be there. Later, I was talking to my favorite instructor about it. He was a salty old SFC who had been with the 1st CAV over there and he told me he thought it was the best, most realistic film that mirrored his own experience greatly. Me mentioned Apocalypse Now and said it might have been a realistic film about the Green Beret experience, but he had no knowledge of that and it didn't true up with what he'd seen and done over there.
The movie A Rumor of War is most like my experience in the Nam. People were getting killed but we were almost never in full out gun battles. The gooks didn't do that because they always got their asses kicked. Apocalypse Now and We were Soldiers, Platoon, and Full Metal Jacket are good Hollywood fantasy but nothing like what I experienced. I served from March '70 to March of '71. Maybe things were like that earlier in the war but not when I served.
Last edited by KC; 04/13/21.
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
Another but lesser known one is The Iron Triangle. It's interesting in that it goes into both sides as experienced by ground troops both U.S.and VC. Lots of action but like most all war movies the explosions are greatly enhanced.
My uncle survived Hamburger Hill. Only thing I ever heard him say about the vietnam war, and only because I asked him if hamburger hill movie presented a good account, he said the movie was close. Nothing else.
I my opinion really doesn't matter. Only those who served know the truism of a movie. However, for the entertainment factor Platoon is hard to beat. I like Casualties of War too.
Vietnam ended years before I was born, so my opinion is worthless here but I think it is worthwhile to mention that I distinctly remember EvilTwin (who doesn't post here anymore, but was in some pretty heated firefights in Vietnam) stating that Platoon was "the biggest pile of garbage ever" or something like that in reference to its realism.
As I've gotten older I've learned to guard myself as to what I watch. Everything coming from hollywood and many other places is absolutely nothing but you the viewer paying to watch the propaganda they are selling. That's bad enough but then you're just filling your mind with junk.
The movie A Rumor of War is most like my experience in the Nam. People were getting killed but we were almost never in full out gun battles. The gooks didn't do that because they always got their asses kicked. Apocalypse Now and We were Soldiers, Platoon, and Full Metal Jacket are good Hollywood fantasy but nothing like what I experienced. I served from March '70 to March of '71. Maybe things were like that earlier in the war but not when I served.
My uncle survived Hamburger Hill. Only thing I ever heard him say about the vietnam war, and only because I asked him if hamburger hill movie presented a good account, he said the movie was close. Nothing else.
I've always heard Hamburger Hill was a pretty good account.
