A MUST see for those who served since the Reagan era

Rating: Null/10 (21 January 2002)

While other recent movies about war have been heralded as epic and masterpieces, BHD brought to the front of my mind memories of my enlisted days in the mid - late 80s like no other film (distant second being the 'hard ass' drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket during boot camp). True, this movie is not for the faint of heart, and true, the action sequences will leave you gasping and gut wrenched over the duration of the film. But what I took away from it the most was Scott's capture of many of the subtleties one would encounter in field conditions in today's modern military: The field kitchen scenes, an enlisted man 'packing' his can of Copenhagen (has this ever been captured on film before? We all dipped either Cope or Skoal), gathering around a VCR, killing time in a hanger with nothing better to do than imitate the quirky perks of the brass. Even the dialect and language. `Hoo-ahh'. We were so ate up that age and time, and Scott captures this perfectly. Was this borrowed from the book of the same name? I don't know, but I want to buy it and read it to find out.
Is it a great war flick? You bet it is. To me, it is an instant classic. I'll probably see it again and then buy the DVD. Are there any weaknesses? I couldn't think of any. Great cast, enough character development to sustain the plot, and STUNNING footage. My only regret (and this has no bearing on the movie whatsoever) is that I didn't realize the events that took place in 1993, and didn't pay more attention to the world political scene at that time.
Memorable Scene: At the very end, when all troops have evacuated the hot zone and are back at base camp. In the field kitchen, and the conversation is about 'why you did it' (enlist). I won't give it away, but I have to say that for any guy who served in the military in this period, you'll do your best to 'maintain composure' during and after the scene.
10 out of 10