we were soldiers

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2011)

Film Review:
This film Starring Mel Gibson as Lt Col. Moore, Madeleine Stowe as his wife Julie, and Sam Elliot as Sgt. MaJ. Plumley, is set in 1964. The Plot and theme of this film are both about War; however, the plot is about the survival of a combat unit in one of the first battles in the conflict of Vietnam. The theme centers on the brother hood and unity of the soldiers of this conflict, as they fight for victory and survival against over whelming odds. This film shows much more than a traditional film in the war genre. It depicts the soldiers as individuals with everyday struggles and that of the families they leave behind while fighting. (Wallace, 2002)
This film is unique in my opinion, because it is the first war film that I have seen that tells the story of soldier's on both sides of the conflict, as men, details the fear, anger and frustration felt on both sides, while providing the audience with a realistic view from the objective point of view. The closes up shots on the faces depict the feelings of the actor's without need for voice over narration or explanation. The lighting and special effects of the film add a sense of realism, where the action and the effects flow together well. This is not a typical war film where the simple objective is to blow up as many things as possible. When Lt Col Moore and Sgt Plumley are talking about the possibility of defeat, the hard-nosed sgt. Tells the Col. That he will win when he says the col is no comparison to General Custer, This sets the tone for a shift in the action, where the US soldiers start to overcome the odds of defeat. (Wallace, 2002) In the end scenes where, Col. Nguyen Huu An is speaking to one of his Vietnamese soldiers' while they are collecting bodies it is apparent to me that this is a message that regardless of what side your on in a conflict, it is sometimes forgotten that before they were solders, they were simply men with families. (Wallace, 2002)
This film also does an excellent job of telling the story of the families the men leave behind, as well as addressing the issue of racism, as it existed in 1964. One of the most memorable characters of this film besides Col Moore, is that of reporter Joe Galloway, who put himself in harm's way to document the heroism of the men that fought, the use of still photography in the film, to represent the pictures he took, sends a very silent yet powerful message to the viewer. (Wallace, 2002) This film may have some resemblances to Apocalypse now, as it is also a war film set in the same period. However, it definitely does not tell the powerful story of men and the brother hood of soldiers as this film does.
References
Wallace, R. (Director). (2002). We were soldiers Motion Picture.