simplistic and blatantly one-sided look at Vietnam

Rating: 4/10 (2 May 1999)

To be honest, I was disappointed to see how people were so in love with this movie. I found it generally to be uneven, boring one moment and deeply disturbing the next. However, my main problem with the film is more with its mythological take on the war. The fact that its re-interpretation of Vietnam has been so easily accepted by the vast majority of viewers makes it scarier. I don't want to write my dissertation on the danger of cinema remaking history, but when you watch this film ask some critical questions about what it is saying to viewer about the past. E.g. Why are the Americans always the victims of Asian aggression? Why is the political/social/historical aspect of the conflict completely excluded (We see Saigon falling, but are not asked to see our role in the ensuing chaos)? Why is the tragedy of Vietnam exclusively its corruption of innocent American boys, over and over and over again? Just thought I'd add this perspective because movies, if they choose to deal with heavy subjects and want to be taken as a serious artistic statement, have to then accept the responsibility of affecting peoples understanding of history.