"We Were Soldiers" is like most present-day war movies-most notably "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan"-in that it graphically shows the brutality and heroism of warare. But unlike "Black Hawk Down", this war movie develops the characters in a way where they are life-like and the audience can almost feel the pain every character is experiencing. The characters in "We Were Soldiers" are not just distant movie actors who the audience feels nothing for, like "BHD". And unlike many previous Vietnam movies, where the directors present the politics of the war, "We Were Soldiers" is solely about the heroism that occurs in warfare and what the brave soldiers have to do to survive.
This film is about the Battle in the Ia Drang Valley, the first military engagement between the US and Vietnam. But before the director shows the carnage in warfare, he shows the troops at the military base preparing for war. This certainly benefits the film because the audience gets to see them at home with their family and the characters then become real and then in the battles you care and fear for them like human beings. They are more to you than just actors in a war movie because of this technique.
The acting in this movie is tremendous. Mel Gibson gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Lt. Col. Hal Moore, a master strategist and a caring and brilliant leader of his troops. During several scenes he goes by many of his troops telling them how well they're doing and how they need to keep it up. Chris Klein does surprisingly well as Lt. Jack Geoghegan a young, gentle leader whose wife has just had a baby. Brad Pepper wonderfully played the photo-journalist Joe Galloway, who published the real-life novel "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young" from where this movie got its information. And Sam Elliot added the humor to the movie by playing the old, bitter Sgt-Maj. Basil Plumley. Madeleine Stowe beautifully plays the worried and courageous Coloniel's wife. She hand-delivered the dreaded yellow-telegrams to the soldiers wives. The scenes where she delivered the telegrams were some of the most heart-wrenching and somber scenes in the whole movie. And the audience felt this way because of how the screenplay was written, but more importantly, how the actors brought the characters to life.
The actual battle scenes are as disturbing and depressing as the scenes in "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan." There are scenes where soldiers are burning to death because of the explosions and scenes where limbs are being blown off. This movie is not for the weak at heart or for anybody who find war movies difficult to endure. The special effects in this movie are simply amazing. There is a scene where a man was caught in an explosion and when he got out it of the fire there were flames on his cheeks broiling his skin.
"We Were Soldiers" is also rare in the sense that it does not make the enemy, in this case the Vietnamese, look evil. There was a scene where a dead Vietnamese soldier had a picture of his girlfriend by his heart and it showed the Vietnamese commanders plotting each move against the US troops. Wallace clearly shows the audience that the Vietnamese were the enemies, but he certainly didn't confuse that with evil.
"We Were Soldiers" is the compelling real-life story of the bravery and courageousness displayed in warfare and the struggle of survival that so many brave soldiers have to endure to protect our lives. Is this a flag-waving move? Most certainly! Is that necessarily a bad thing? Absolutely not! Why not honor and pay homage to the brave men and women who have risked their lives for us? This was a intense, suspenseful, cinematic achievement that will leave a lasting image in my mind. Because of the way it develops the characters you will care for the characters and this movie will often bring tear to your eyes. This is the first Oscar-worthy movie of 2002 and it will be a shame if it doesn't get recognized because of its early release date. This is a movie I will surely not forget when making my Top Ten List for 2002, its that good!
**** out of ****
