Grim War Movie - This Time 'Nam

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2002)

Continuing a trend in war movies; that of using state-of-the-art special effects to recreate the carnage of battle, Hollywood has now provided us its first entry for the Vietnam War. This follows World War II (Saving Private Ryan) and the Somali conflict (Black Hawk Down). Like "Black Hawk Down", "We Were Soldiers" is based on fact, written by the American commander of the famous November 1965 battle that heralded the start of large-scale American combat participation in the war.
Thankfully, the filmmakers spend more time developing the film's major characters than did Ridley Scott in "Black Hawk Down" (which was my only complaint of that excellent movie). The difficult lives of the soldier's spouses are dramatically (and theatrically) portrayed to excellent effect. Over half the movie is reserved for the actual battle, and it's a grim and gory affair. We care for the soldiers, their wives, and families, and when the battle starts and the blood begins to spill, we, the viewers, are emotionally pulled apart.
This is a very straightforward film, the portrayal of a single large battle, and its effect on the combatants and their families. I highly recommend it, but if you are uncomfortable with on-screen carnage, you'll want to avoid it.