BillBill, Idaho wrote:Ok, so if one was to completely remove any and all political overtones, which movie would be technically the most correct as far as equipment? My problem is whenever I go to a movie (which is hardly ever anymore), I become too involved in how accurate the thing is in regards to gear and vehicles, rather than going with the plot and simply enjoying it as a couple of hours of entertainment.
I would think it would be John Wayne's "The Green Berets" if only because all of the stuff in the movie was current issue at the time and (I think) they also had the help of the US Army when filming it.
Crusader_22 wrote:
"Casualties of War" was also technically proficient, but over the top in the anti-Vietnam sense, maybe the worst offender. Just no objectiveness at all. (But I give it a little star for being the only VN film I have seen that actually bothers to use a real XM177E2 instead of CAR-15s or other wrong carbines! After all, I am a weapon guy.)
I'll think of more later. Anyone else?
Jeff
Jeff
How about "The Boys in Company C"? Only good thing about it was a fresh out of the 'Corps R.Lee as a USMC D.I. (must have been one of his first rolls).
The XM177E2 might have been one of those full size 7mm? cap guns made in Japan. They fired a paper cap that was inserted into a brass "shell". When the weapon was fired, it would eject the "spent" shell like a live firearm. Don't know if they make them anymore but that was pre air soft. If you want to see them (the cap guns) in action, just watch old episodes of "Tour of Duty" as that's what all the M16A1s were in that series.
DEAN wrote:Try 'The Odd Angry Shot' - its a film about the Australian SAS in Vietnam and gives a different perspective from the usual US involvement. Haven't seen it for a long time, but do seem to remember that its anti-war.
There was also an Australian mini-series on Vietnam, called (imaginatively) 'Vietnam'. Can't remember if its any good or not.
There was an American TV series called "Tour of duty" that was on during the 1980s. It centered around an Infantry platoon in country and then there was another series (on around the same time) called "China Beach." It centered around a field hospital.
Of the popular Vietnam films:
You may be interested to know that Full Metal Jacket was entirely filmed in London.....there are odd bits that give it away like road markings etc, but still a good film. Yes all of the WWII soft skins kind of give that away and when Matthew Modine is talking with "Tex" right after he is shot you can see the actor's breath (it was filmed in the winter time over there)
I don't think Platoon has aged well and seems very contrived now. Apocolypse Now is very moody and atmospheric and as a consequence seems deeper than it really is (filmed in the Philipines with the local military). I think Good Morning Vietnam is actually one of the better era films.
Regardless of its technical aspects, The Green Berets is a terrible film on many levels, but does stand-out for being pro-Vietnam war. The only other one I can think of is We Were Soldiers, which is also not a good film, but pretends to be purely because it is graphic.
Dean
I have to agree with your comments. Think you hit the nail right on the head.
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Matt