Better Times Than These.

Rating: Null/10 (25 March 2003)

Totally ignored and under-rated in 2002, "We Were Soldiers" was one of the top 10 films of yet another excellent cinematic year. The conflict in Vietnam is looming and the U.S. is about to get involved in some heavy combat and casualties are imminent. Mel Gibson leads the very first group of some 400 American men into a hot zone where 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers are waiting. What follows are intense fire fights and the realizations of love, devotion, admiration and friendship for all Americans involved. While there have been several excellent films on the topic of Vietnam, "We Were Soldiers" is different from the others in the way it shows the emotional battles occurring back home in the states of those who are waiting for their husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles to come home. Madeleine Stowe, as Gibson's wife, is solid as she always is as the primary woman struggling with the events taking place overseas. A strong cast which includes Keri Russell, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Barry Pepper and Chris Klein completes the strong film. Randall Wallace (who wrote the screenplays for the amazing "Braveheart" and the disappointing "Pearl Harbor") shows an uncanny knack as a film director. He uses an odd Frank Capra-styled way of telling a story that is highly dramatic and highly life affirming at the same time. "We Were Soldiers" is an excellent film that should be embraced, especially in this chaotic time when other events overshadow the world of the cinema. 5 stars out of 5.