above average movie but way over-exaggerated

Rating: 7/10 (8 February 2005)

i remember first watching this movie years ago and thinking how accurate a portrayal of the Vietnam war it depicted. However, after many years it now seems this movie is a typical liberal distortion of what really happened in Vietnam. While I'm sure some were deeply affected by their experience, the notion of being forced to play Russian roulette is absurd. All veterans I've heard discuss this say they never ever heard that being done. One veteran i talked with told me that .."think about it..if your captured in war, your captures are not gonna put a loaded weapon in your hand". Seems all the films of Vietnam try to portray all who served there as crazy, bizarre,helpless damaged individuals who couldn't cope and that simply was just not true. I mean really...staying in Vietnam and becoming a "professional Russian roulette player"??? The overwhelming majority of those who served there did honorably and with distinction.As for the film, while there are some fine performances by the actors, there are serious flaws in the story. The most bothersome has always irked me.. why would Michael go all the way back to Vietnam to "get Nick",but plays roulette??