One of the truly great movies about Vietnam, war and friendship

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 1999)

This movie was overwhelming the first time I saw it, and as I watch it again, for what must be the 20th time, I feel myself transfixed and compelled in the same manner. The scenes of torture, physical and mental, is gruesome, and one of the most stirring scenes ever captured on film. The scene is revisited throughout the film and each incident is even more harrowing than the original. Christopher Walken deserved and earned his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and the film was truly the Best Picture of 1978, though one award it missed was Best Actor for De Niro. See this movie at all costs. Several movies that impact one so much that come to mind are: American History X, Apocalypse Now (my vote for best war movie), Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful, and Shine. The last two may make you cry with tears of joy, but the impact is no less.