The Popkorn Junkie :: We Were Soldiers

Once Hollywood produces a successful and critically acclaimed war movie, it has a tendency to follow up with several 'less than adequate' war films which eventually give the originator a bad wrap. That has almost always been the case. The originator in this case was "Black Hawk Down", an exquisite war masterpiece. However, the trend is changing slightly. "We Were Soldiers", written for the screen and directed by Randall Wallace, is better than "Black Hawk Down" because it does something very few other war movies do--show things as they probably happened. Most war movies glamorize war and fill in the blanks with unbelievable side stories of courage and valor. Sure, they make us feel warm and cozy inside, but those feelings are empty. "We Were Soldiers" avoids exaggeration and delivers a wallop.

Mel Gibson stars as Colonel Hal Moore, a courageous and honorable soldier who tells his men, "I will be the first one to step onto the field and the last one to step off", a line which he lives up to admirably. Gibson leads a crew of soldiers into an unwinnable battle in Vietnam. He is placed in a situation where his men are dying and his entire cavalry is surrounded, being closed in on by hundreds of determined Vietnamese soldiers. "We Were Soldiers" is the story of the 7th Cavalry (the same number cavalry as Custer's, by the way) and the war they fought on the ridges, the knolls, and deep in the creek beds of Vietnam. The violence is so real and unflinching that one scene, in which an American soldier is wounded by a napalm explosion and must be carried to a helicopter, made me cringe and come close to losing it. All aspects of the Vietnam scenes are superbly done, and Gibson is powerful and intense as Colonel Moore. Sam Elliot costars as Sergeant Major Basil Plumley, Gibson's right hand man, who doesn't believe in using the newer weapons and insists on using his pistol instead throughout the length of the film. Chris Klein plays Lieutenant Jack Geoghegan, a young soldier who quickly strikes up a friendship with Gibson. Madeline Stowe portrays Gibson's wife Julie who takes it upon herself to deliver 'letters of notification' to the wives of the fallen soldiers. And, Barry Pepper stars as Joe Galloway, a reporter who hitches a ride with a helicopter to get an up close perspective on the battle--he would eventually go on to write the book that this film was based upon, "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young".

Director Randall Wallace has given us a war film of immense power and unbelievable intensity. It contains scenes that will linger in my mind long after the film hits video shelves and settles into hibernation. Not since "Saving Private Ryan" have I been so moved by a film, and not since "Braveheart" have I seen Gibson so committed to a role. When the Academy Awards roll around next year, I would personally like to see Wallace up for Director, Gibson up for Actor, Pepper up for Supporting Actor, and "We Were Soldiers" up for Best Picture of the year. It is rare when I cannot think of one negative thing to say about a film, and that is the case with his film. This is magnificent cinema and the best film of the year thus far. It will take one hell of a masterpiece to outrank this flick.

-- Billy Ray ( 4 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

Other Junkie's opinions.....

James ( 3 1/2 out of 4 pops )

Okay I got talked into this and I just got back from it. I say "talked" and not "conned" because it is a mighty fine film. Oscar caliber, It's a bit early to say that, but I would not be surprised. However, the first half and hour or so is overly clichéd and overblown, but after that it's top notch material. 3.5 pops. Sam Elliot, Greg Kinnear, and Barry Pepper are great! Chris Klien and Kerri Russel are cute...duh...I think that's why they cast them. And Mel Gibson...um...well...um...once again has at least 5 kids. Starting to be a staple in his war movies......great acting too. Now time for my opinion, so some of you might wanna leave the room. Go on, get. I said get. Okay, those of you who wanna hear this, thanks. What is the deal with ground combat? In my mind, Vietnam would have been a successful war--although no war is truly successful--if we didn't send our American boys to fight the Vietcong on the ground. We should have just napalmed North Vietnam. Done. Capoote. End of war. I know it's easy and some might say a cop-out to look back and say how things are different instead of making changes now, but I don't see why ground combat is all that important. I think the American military is learning this fact, as the most recent war has begun with lots of air-to-ground attacks to "soften up" the enemy, and then ground troops can go in to secure the area, but then why do I still hear people talk about how they want to fight on the ground and die for their country? Excuse me, but if I was at war, the LAST thing I would be thinking about is dying. The point of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastards die for his. Back to the film. Yeah, after the first 30 minutes, it's great. The violence is pornographic, so young kids and the squeamish should not see this film, despite it's war-is-hell overtones, however for the rest of us, it's just the cherry on top of a mighty fine piece of work.

Pappy ( 3 out of 4 pops )

I was a bit bored at the beginning of this film, but it was an effective real life lead into all the Viet Nam action. One day you are comfortable with friends and family in the US; the next day you are in a battle for your life. And once that action in the film started it was total confusion. But that’s not a bad thing, it seemed to very realistically portray the fog of war. The film has a lot of action, a lot of emotion and is sympathetic to all warriors placed on the Viet Nam battlefield. This was a war I never in, but many of my friends were. Some never came back. I must admit that I walked out of the film with a tear running down my cheek.

Matt ( 2 out of 4 pops )

There are some genuinely touching moments in Randall Wallace's war epic, and I did leave the theater crying, but I still felt it could've been more poignant and powerful. I can't point it out, but it was missing something. Mel Gibson's performance is brilliant--in fact, it's so brilliant that I sometimes forgot I was watching Mel on screen. I could tell he did extensive research on the role. Madeline Stowe gives a quietly powerful performance as his wife. And Barry Pepper is superb as the reporter-turned-war-hero. He is a new, up-and-coming actor, and I hope he turns into a big success. The only one who I felt was miscast was Greg Kinnear--I just couldn't buy him as a soldier. Like all war films, "We Were Soldiers" is graphic and bloody, but I didn't feel as attached to the action as in "Saving Private Ryan" or "Braveheart." All in all, it's far from terrible, but far from great. However, it very well carries on the message of patriotism.