Whatever critics and the moviegoing public may have thought of John Wayne's "The Green Berets" in 1968, it must have been a hit with the Army.
As a soldier in Vietnam from mid-'68 to mid-'69, I was stationed in Phu Bai, which was located about 60 miles south of the DMZ. Because there was a Corps headquarters there, with a number of high-ranking officers, 16mm movies came through on a weekly basis.So the troops were allowed to build a makeshift outdoor movie theater, for weekly screenings to be shown to "grunts" who were passing through, as well as those stationed in the area. The screen was surrounded by sandbags and ditches, of course, just in case the Viet Cong decided to bomb us while we were watching a movie . . . which seemed redundant. In fact, we saw so many bad Hollywood efforts that some of us coined a moviegoing motto: "Too Many Bombs/Not Enough Bombshells."
We saw one of Burt Reynolds' worst Westerns, "Navajo Joe," and the James Cobern caper comedy "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round" several times - but no movie came through as often as "The Green Berets." It was a regular. In fact, it seemed to come around every other week.
Some of us began having nightmares about Wayne being our new commanding officer, but instead of taking us into combat, he forced us to watch "The Green Berets" over and over. (As Dave Barry would say, "I am not making this up!")
Fortunately, some 25 years later, with the video revolution having made convenient movie-watching a normal part of our lives - and without military intervention to force us to watch "The Green Berets" - we have a much wider assortment of Vietnam War movies to choose from.
Of course, if you really feel you must see Wayne's hawkish cinematic tract, it's out there. (I haven't seen it in 25 years - and I still remember it in detail.)
So, here's a selected list of Hicks' picks as the best movies about the Vietnam War that are available on video, for rent or purchase and listed alphabetically (be advised that most are R-rated fare, with considerable violence and profanity):
Apocalypse Now (1979). Francis Ford Coppola's loose reworking of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is still startling, despite the rambling final quarter with Marlon Brando. * * * 1/2
Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Despite Oliver Stone's shrill treatment of the Ron Kovic story, this film is recommendable for Tom Cruise's stunning central performance. Just take it all with a grain of salt. * * *
The Boys in Company C (1978). An underrated, low-budget action picture, with something to say about the war. * * *
Casualties of War (1989). An underrated film by Brian De Palma (better known for horror movies like "Carrie" and "Dressed to Kill"), this one stars Michael J. Fox (who is excellent), as an innocent soldier who witnesses the gang rape and murder of a Vietnamese woman (played superbly by Thuy Thu Le), which is led by his platoon sergeant (Sean Penn). The film's focus is on Fox's divided loyalties and the picture is certainly uneven, but it may also be De Palma's most compact and moral movie, as he demonstrates his skills as a master movie technician. * * *
The Children of An Lac (1980-TV movie). Touching true story, with Shirley Jones starring as one of three women who evacuated hundreds of Vietnamese orphans just before the fall of Saigon. Based on the experiences of actress Ina Balin, who was a volunteer in the effort, and who co-stars here. * * *
Coming Home (1978). Dated but still interesting variation on the disillusioned veteran story, with excellent performances. * * 1/2
Dear America (1987 - made for cable TV). This shattering documentary is made up of newsreel footage set to a narration provided by a dazzling array of stars, all of them reading real-life letters from soldiers who served in Vietnam, some of whom never made it home. The film is punctuated by a terrific '60s song score. * * * * (Other documentaries worth seeking out include the Oscar-winning, anti-war "Hearts and Minds," a volatile 1974 film that still packs a wallop, and the PBS "Vietnam" series, in several volumes.)
The Deer Hunter (1978). Still one of the best, thanks to its focus on very well-developed blue-collar characters who live, work and ultimately go to war together. * * * *
84 Charlie Mopic (1989). A unique approach gives this low-budget, independent production its vitality. A hit when it premiered at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, this story is told from the point of view of a combat moviemaker, and it has gone on to become a PBS staple. * * *
Full Metal Jacket (1987). Stanley Kubrick's harrowing look at the war is told in anthology form, beginning with boot camp, then taking us through the central character's orientation in Vietnam and ultimately into a horrifying combat situation. Matthew Modine, as a Stars and Stripes reporter, provides the film's point of view, but this is Kubrick's vision from beginning to end. The most startling and realistic moments are in the boot camp sequence. * * * 1/2
Go Tell the Spartans (1978). Burt Lancaster leads the charge in this darkly humorous look at the early days of the war. * * *
Good Morning, Vietnam (1988). This comedy-drama, based on the experiences of real-life Vietnam DJ Adrian Cronauer has its highs and lows, but the brilliant lead performance by Robin Williams keeps it afloat, even when it gets a bit preachy toward the end. And it's doubtful that Cronauer was as zany and hilarious as Williams. * * * 1/2
Jacknife (1989). Another "Coming Home" story, though set 15 years after the war, as Robert De Niro tries to help angst-ridden war buddy Ed Harris. De Niro's shaded performance is a real treat. * * *
Platoon (1986). Still considered the finest treatise on the war and certainly the most personal - and, arguably, Oliver Stone's finest hour to date. * * * *
A Rumor of War (1980 - TV movie). The true story of Philip Caputo, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning account of his Vietnam experiences, taking him from his idealistic college days to his becoming a hard-bitten Marine and, ultimately, an embittered veteran, with an excellent lead performance by Brad Davis. * * * 1/2
Uncommon Valor (1983). Gene Hackman heads the cast (which includes Patrick Swayze) in this action effort, setting the pace and tone for a number of cheaper imitations that followed (including Chuck Norris' "Missing in Action" pictures). Hackman is a Marine colonel who assembles a shaggy unit of misfits to rescue his son, a POW in Vietnam. Well-made and authentic, though the ultimate heroics are, of course, exaggerated. * * *