Vietnam war epic is one of the best of its type

Rating: 10/10 (3 December 2016)

A solid and highly impressive war movie, one of the latest to follow in the wake of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and one which is no less moving and powerful. This time around the setting is Vietnam at the beginning of the war in 1965, but the setting and the enemy is not really important. Instead this film focuses on the humanity of the American soldiers involved and the way they must band together in order to survive, employing the now clichéd "leave no man behind" type morale to lead them through it. The film is utterly entertaining due to the tons of action and fighting that it offers and only now, with the modern advent of digital effects, can cinema deliver incredible scenes of action and violence in a realistic manner (check out the napalm bombing, where CGI planes fly past overheard and they look just like the real thing).
Mel Gibson is a good choice as the lead, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, and even if the film hadn't been as good it still could have been carried by Gibson alone, who adopts the persona as his own and puts in an assured, likable, human but tough performance. Gibson's becoming a real pro at portraying military leaders these days and his performance here is no exception, one of the finest I've seen from the man. Similarly there are also some great supporting roles from Greg Kinnear (underused as a helicopter pilot sickened by the death toll) and Sam Elliott as a tough but worthy sergeant. Also worth watching for is Barry Pepper as an American reporter, forced to take up arms and fight for his life when the battle closes in around him.
The film is strong on sentimentality and very moving in parts, especially the scenes where the wives back home decide to deliver the death letters themselves. Although sentimental it never gets overdone or mawkish like in a Spielberg movie, never uncomfortable. The action sequences are excellent and the movie has one of the best soundtracks I've heard. In the documentary on the DVD it says that over ten thousand bullet shots are heard in the movie and they come at you constantly from all directions, really putting you into the middle of the battle like BLACK HAWK DOWN did.
The film is also pretty gory with one or two scenes of ultra-horror, such as the Chinese soldier who gets his body destroyed with napalm but still carries on surviving. Special effects, both computer and makeup, are outstanding and the music is more than appropriate, especially a Scottish ballad that they play which is pretty moving. I also liked the fact that we saw from the point of view of the Vietcong, albeit briefly; this humanises an enemy so often portrayed as simply demonic and evil and gives the film an extra level. WE WERE SOLDIERS is a prime-time piece of entertainment and one of the best films of the year.