I hate patriotism, war, violence, and ignorant comments, but I admire courage and leadership, which is what the film portrays.

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2003)

Great commanders in history led from the front, and suffered the
same hardships as their soldiers, such as Alexander and
Caesar...Moore was such a man. This film is about bravery and
leadership in the face of abhorrent violence and fear. Thats it. We
see it also from both sides, refreshingly, although the Vietnamese
commander was more of a tactician; probably the Vietnamese
saw the value in keeping such adept commanders alive, plus he
had the advantage of sheer numbers. We see the courage and
fear also of the families left behind, and are reminded poignantly
that the Vietnamese were human, when we see the photograph of
the brave bayonet charger's wife, and the respect the Vietnamese
commander showed for the "enemy" by leaving the small ragged
American flag behind. The image of the small dirty ragged flag on
a tree stump foretells the doom and humiliation the Americans will
eventually suffer, after years of meaningless slaughter. The
Americans lost the war but killed 40 times men than they lost; this
is a tribute to the bravery and commitment of the Vietnamese. We see Moore standing tall and vulnerable because at that stage
he didn't care whether he lived or died, as he had lost so many of
his men and felt severe guilt; like Alexander, pure luck kept him
alive. After his honest prayer with the young soldier in the chapel,
he adds a surprising comment about the Vietnamese having no
God etc; he remembers that he has to remain detached, or he
could never be an effective leader.