One Shot

Rating: 8/10 (3 October 2002)

Brilliant and depressing film. This isn't intended to be a 'Summer Blockbuster' or 'War Movie' - rather it's a character study showing the effects of the Vietnam War on a group of small town steel workers.
These Vets didn't go on to be ping-pong champions, or shrimp boat captains. They died, were left crippled, and were emotionally traumatised.

Many reviewers have dismissed the film on the basis of a very long intro scene. Without the wedding scene, we would have no idea what the lives of the characters were like before the effects of the war. The wedding is simply a vehicle that allows us to explore in depth the characters lives (even if a few of the characters are quite shallow). It is a complete circle, De Niro becomes the Vet he meets at the wedding.
The ending scene at the wake, where everyone sings "God Bless America" is one of the most gripping scenes in modern film history. The loss of youth, innocence, and idealism fully explored in a film made only 5 years after the fall of Saigon - when the wounds of the war were still all too fresh on the American psyche.
A great film, but perhaps too complicated for a modern audience looking for a series of spectacular actions scenes packed into 90 minutes.