NationStates Jolt Archive

I personally really enjoyed platoon, and I've seen it at least four times, it's that good. Forrest Gump had some vietnam stuff in it too, but it wasn't about the vietnam war per se. And Hamburger Hill wasn't bad.

Apocolypse Now. Hands down.

Apocalypse Now is a good movie. Don't forget Full Metal Jacket!

apocalypse now - not only one of the best war movies, but is one of the best overall movies ever made...

Wow, Apocalypse Now is quite popular :fluffle:

Apocolypse Now. Hands down.
I haven't seen it, but I've heard a lot of veterans say that it wasn't a realistic portrayal of that war.

I don't know about the best, but the worst was "Green Berets".

While "Apocolypse Now" was set in Viet Nam, it was actually from a book by Joseph Conrad called "the Heart of Darkness" which was set in, as I recall, Nigeria.

I haven't seen it, but I've heard a lot of veterans say that it wasn't a realistic portrayal of that war.
I think it was more the emotional portrayal rather than a realistic portrayal. Also, don't forget that it's based on Heart of Darkness by Conrad.

uhm....Full Metal Jacket?

Full Metal Jacket all the way. Just the music alone...

Full Metal Jacket all the way. Just the music alone...
what kind of music?

I think it was more the emotional portrayal rather than a realistic portrayal. Also, don't forget that it's based on Heart of Darkness by Conrad.
Yeah, but most veterans picked up their lives where they left off, even if they had some psychological problems. They didn't stay in Vietnam because they couldn't cope back at home.

Platoon. I'm rather surprised that it's not been mentioned yet.

Full Metal jacket!! :D

Haven't seen/read Apocolypse Now/The Heart of Darkness so I can't really comment but I'd say Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket was pretty damn good. Tigerland was also one to watch I think (haven't seen it in awhile but what I remeber was decent stuff).

Yeah, but most veterans picked up their lives where they left off, even if they had some psychological problems. They didn't stay in Vietnam because they couldn't cope back at home.
I'm not going to pretend I know much about that. Its just a great movie with Vietnam in it.

I don't know about the best, but the worst was "Green Berets".

While "Apocolypse Now" was set in Viet Nam, it was actually from a book by Joseph Conrad called "the Heart of Darkness" which was set in, as I recall, Nigeria.

Belgian Congo, gheesh, I didn't spend months studying that in English for some old whippersnapper like you to recall the location incorrectly.

what kind of music?

Only music I remember from Full Metal Jacket is the "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E"song in the end :)...

Only music I remember from Full Metal Jacket is the "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E"song in the end :)...

Which is amazing in itself.

Platoon: "Everyone died and Im gonna cry about it"

Full Metal Jacket: "Everyone died and Im going to sing Mickey Mouse Club"

Apocalypse Now. END OF QUESTION!

Funny thing about FMJ is it captures the emotional roller coaster that is Parris Island amazingly well. The DI's can't physically assault boots anymore, but every time I see it I'm reminded of the experience.

I think Full Metal jacket and Platoon both capture the sense of being in Vietnam (or, I should say, what I ~think~ that feeling would feel like) but in two different ways: In FMJ, the experiences of Joker and the squad never touch on the jungle combat, which is an interesting approach since that is what the combat was best known to be about: crawling through jungles and unergrowth to battle an unseen enemy. Platoon, on the other hand, portrays this very, very well. I'm quite sure this was some effort on Kubrick's part to get an interesting angle to the war across.

Slightly off topic, but one of my favorite books happens to follow the experiences of a few (fictional) folks through a year in Vietnam, named 'Body Count.' It's been out of print for a few years but the book is excellent, touching on many different aspects of the war and the characters involved in fighting it. If you can get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend it.

Platoon. I'm rather surprised that it's not been mentioned yet.
I mentioned it in my first post on this thread.

Which is amazing in itself.

Platoon: "Everyone died and Im gonna cry about it"

Full Metal Jacket: "Everyone died and Im going to sing Mickey Mouse Club"

LOL :D

Belgian Congo, gheesh, I didn't spend months studying that in English for some old whippersnapper like you to recall the location incorrectly.

Whippersnapper indeed. It's been 20 years since I read the book. Be grateful I remembered anything at all about it

Platoon! Platoon! Platoon! *gasp* Platoon! Most amazing movie period, actually!:sniper: :D

My faves are casualties of war, and the deer hunter. While neither are technically as good as apocalypes now, they have such an emotional impact i still prefer them. and the acting in the deer hunter is amazing. nice soundtrack too.

I loved full metal jacket, but it was obvious that it was filmed near London, it looked more like Slough then ho chi minh. It was less showy then Acopolyspe Now and It didn't rip of Joesph Conrad

On a slightly related note - what did you all think of Jarhead?

I loved it myself, but a few of my mates didn't really find it that good.

I loved full metal jacket, but it was obvious that it was filmed near London, it looked more like Slough then ho chi minh. It was less showy then Acopolyspe Now and It didn't rip of Joesph Conrad
It was BASED on Conrad... ?

Full metal Jacket

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I vote Apocalypse Now, either version.

I loved Full Metal Jacket, but it was obvious that it was filmed near London, it looked more like Slough than Ho Chi Minh [City].

:D :D :D Hue, actually. The final battle was supposed to be set in Hue. But you're right: it was filmed on the Isle of Dogs in London, before they gentrified the whole place.

It was less showy then Apocalypse Now and it didn't rip-off Joseph Conrad.

Hey, if you're going to rip-off a classic story, Joseph Conrad's not a bad choice.

Wow!!! The only mention of Hamburger Hill was in the opening thread? Thought for sure that would get more recognition! Anyway, I'm going with Hamburger Hill!

Apocalypse Now is a great move - one of my two favorites. That being said, I don't think it's a great Vietnam War movie - it just happens to be a great movie set in Vietnam. (Hopefully the distinction makes sense.)

Go Tell the Spartans is the best one I've seen, with We Were Soldiers a close second and Full Metal Jacket at third.

"Good Morning Vietnam" Robin Williams.

I personally like "We Were Soldiers" Good movie, and even better book. My father, who was a Special Forces soldier, or Green Beret, in Vietnam told me that he has yet to see a movie that accuretly portrays what US soldiers went through in Vietnam.

Platoon by far my personal choice. With Bright Shining Lie ? a close second. Fantastic book also.

Could not stand We Were Soldiers.

Apocalypse now was a great film, but if I had to choose, I would have to go with Full Metal Jacket. The music, the cinematography, everything. Stanley Kubrick was a genius (except for Eyes Wide Shut, woof.)

Go Tell the Spartans

To me, Go tell the Spartans doesn't seem like a Vietnam movie. It seems more like a World War II movie that happens to be set in Vietnam. It lacks the moral ambiguity we've come to expect from a Vietnam war movie.

The Odd, Angry Shot is a good one.

Apocalypse now is a class film, but it drags on a bit in the middle for me. Platoon is probably my favourite, though I haven't seem FMJ for a while, really should find it on DVD, can't be too expensive.

I prefer Battlefield: Vietnam to them all :D. There's something theraputic about flying a Huey over a peasant village, sprawing it with gunfire while blasting Edwin Starr out of the sound system :cool:

Full Metal Jacket without a doubt.

Apocalypse Now doesn't cut it as a 'Nam movie imo, as it really wasn't about 'Nam. It's more of a generic anti-war movie, being more about a man's journey to the dark pit of his soul. Where/when it was set has little bearing on the pyschological aspects.
Could have been any war, any time. (which is why the book itself is so timeless)

FMJ on the other hand was definitely all about 'Nam.

I vote Apocalypse Now, either version.



:D :D :D Hue, actually. The final battle was supposed to be set in Hue. But you're right: it was filmed on the Isle of Dogs in London, before they gentrified the whole place.
The reason being was that when they got to Vietnam, the city had all been rebuilt. But there were parts of London back then that were still showing signs of the blitz, as well as the urban decay that was painfully apparent then.

Says something about London in the 1980s where it could pass for a war torn city better than an actual war torn city.