Born on the Fourth of July

Rating: 7/10 (11 April 2007)

Oliver Stones second work on the war in Vietnam is a much more political film than its predecessor "Platoon" was. Stone is often called one of the most critical filmmakers working today, and he is often put on the left side of the political spectrum, which is something that this film confirms pretty strongly. But one thing is not to be denied: With all his critical attitude, he still is a patriot, and his films are very patriotic in a wider sense. I think "Born on the Fourth of July" is a good work, because it spends enough time establishing the characters, it helps us understand why young men are willing to risk their life in a war, for which they don't even know the reason. It's an accusation against a government who sends their citizens to a war, while telling lies about the true backgrounds (Once again history repeats itself in Iraq). In the end, I think, this movie became too much of a Hollywood success story, but nevertheless it is a very touching film with political and social commitment.