Should have been like this...

Rating: 1/10 (13 June 2005)

Here is a script.
US President decides to kick some Commie a*se and sends loads of new troops into Nam. Pan to US Military Base where soldiers are being trained. Introduce diverse characters like Commanding Officer who is getting to middle age and not really sure he wants to be sent into battle again, but doesn't have a choice because he has to keep up appearances as well as think of his pension. Meanwhile, his wife of 20 years is having an affair with a young black lieutenant and neglects the kids. His Sergeant Major is a closet homosexual who vents his frustrations upon the new recruits he has to train. Several other soldiers wander round the perimeter, each with their own particular ghosts  drugs, debts, relationship issues, fears and doubts.
Send this bunch to Vietnam (minus the cheating wife who in the absence of the men tries to become Top Lady by bullying the other women into submission) before anybody really knew what or where it was. Headquarters mount a botched operation deep into hostile territory, based on outmoded tactics, hopelessly bungled intelligence and endemic ignorance of the enemy.
Soldiers land in the jungle where ANV is waiting for them to let fly with all they've got. The raw US troops follow the tactical handbook that was written for a different war, a different place and a different enemy, and end up totally confused and badly positioned. Try to do their best in the ensuing chaos by seeking cover and lying low. Commanding Officer recovers from shock, slowly realises that this is a major balls-up and phones base to get his troops extracted  permission denied. Fearsome AVN attacks follow one another during several days and nights, and by observing them the position of their base becomes clear. US artillery and air power is called in and coolly blasts the AVN headquarters to smithereens whilst the ground troops lick their wounds in their foxholes. AVN hurts badly, breaks off combat and retreats further into jungle. US choppers fly in and evacuate dead, wounded and survivors. Reporter who tries to take pictures of the bodies is beaten up out of sight.
Back to base, later. Group of survivors from this ordeal get together and think about lost comrades. CO's wife weeps for dead black lover. One poor veteran OD's himself later that night. Commanding officer is mental wreck, drinks too much and hits wife who runs off with frightened kiddies.
Cut to bright daylight scene where hundreds of dapper new US troops are waiting on airfield tarmac, embarking on planes to take them to Vietnam. Shards of patriotic speech by General are lost in the wind and noise. Commanding Officer watches from distance with bottle of whiskey in one hand and army revolver in other. Film ends with a gunshot.
Of course this has nothing to do with 'We were soldiers'. And that is exactly the problem.
fG