Simply amazing (Spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (19 January 2002)

I just got home from seeing this film and I need to make one point before I put in my two cents: I have read a few reviews on this site that claim some of the dialogue is cheesy or contrived, especially the scenes with Cpl Jamie Smith. If any of these reviewers had actually read the book before seeing the film, they would know Jamie was a REAL person who ACTUALLY DIED on 10-4-93. He was not a character conjured up by some writer. I can't say for sure, but I think Cpl Smith requesting that Sgt Eversman tell his parents that he fought bravely was probably close to the truth. Cpl Smith's father was a Ranger in Vietnam, and the book explains that Jamie had wanted nothing more than to join TFR his whole life. I'm sure he would have wanted his father to know he died fighting. As for the rest of the movie, it left me emotionally drained. I thought just about every part was as close to the book as possible and Ridley Scott did a phenomenal job of portraying the horror and confusion of war. Considering the number of Rangers and D-Boys that were a part of this battle, Scott had no choice but to give a blow by blow account of what happened. If he had wanted to do a character study of these men, the movie would have lasted for days. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that the movie shows the 10th mountain division arriving at about 11:45 pm. In reality the tanks and APC's did not arrive until morning. I thought that took away from what the Rangers and D-Boys had to go through, being pinned down all night. As a whole, the movie was technically and visually amazing. It seems Mr. Bruckhiemer can produce a decent movie after all.