The Vietnam War was a bloody struggle in the 1960s and 1970s. Many movies were made about the war, but none were quite as violent and inspiring as these classics. Oliver Stone's war drama "Apocalypse Now" is perhaps the most well-known example of the genre. It depicts the horrors of war through cinematic violence, and Willem Dafoe's role as Sgt. Elias is an idealistic soldier caught up in the historical event. Robin Williams as Adrian Cronauer
The most famous Vietnam war movie starring Robin Williams stars the actor as radio newsman Adrian Cronauer. In the film, Cronauer works for the armed forces radio service, but his superiors aren't happy. Their disapproval is evident by the jokes they make. While on assignment, Cronauer and his crew are forced to avoid Viet Cong patrols. When they return, Cronauer accidentally hits a landmine, killing three soldiers and leaving him seriously injured.
Cronauer's real-life life inspired the character created by Robin Williams. Adrian was a former U.S. Air Force sergeant who specialized in broadcasting and worked as a disc jockey in Saigon. While the movie adapted Cronauer's story, it took many liberties. Cronauer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a steelworker father and a school teacher mother. Growing up, Adrian was a fan of radio and television, and he landed a semi-regular slot on local children's television at an early age.
Cronauer was not always a willing participant in the Vietnam War. The actor was reluctant to play the character in the film because his real life experiences were quite different. He had his reservations about the role, but he was nevertheless willing to serve as a wartime reporter. After his service, he was employed as a television reporter, an FM-radio announcer, and a defense department official. Ultimately, he retired from the military, becoming a broadcaster and a lawyer.
Good Morning, Vietnam was one of Williams' most memorable roles. While his career spanned four decades, he struggled to break into the big leagues and make much of his career. The film Good Morning Vietnam was Williams' breakthrough and ultimately led to him receiving an Academy Award nomination for best actor. It also gave him a much-deserved Oscar nomination. There is no denying the importance of his role as Adrian Cronauer.
Stanley Kubrick's Hamburger Hill
Despite its subject matter, the movie is not a particularly good representation of Vietnam. Its focus is on the brutality of war in Vietnam, and the futility of the resulting battle is a microcosm of the entire conflict. But for those who enjoy the movie's kinetic action and strong characters, the film may be a better choice than a war documentary.
This film was made in Cambridgeshire, England and features an incredible cast of actors. The dehumanizing experience of combat training and boots-on-the-ground action are perfectly portrayed in this film. The film also features Matthew Modine as "Joker", a smart-aleck soldier who is the most humane and likable character Kubrick has had since David Bowman. Ultimately, war kills the soul of all soldiers. In this movie, these survivors wish they could go back to being children.
The film's plot is based on the book of the same name, and centers on the 101st Airborne. It depicts the life of one unit in the North Vietnamese army, while the American soldiers face a metaphysical opponent in the Viet Cong. The Americans have no real advantage over these soldiers, and the Viet Cong have fortified their positions to take cover and avoid detection. The soldiers in the movie are not slick, artfully portrayed, but they are believable, complex, and real.
Oliver Stone's "Apocalypse Now"
While the Vietnam War is a difficult subject to discuss, Oliver Stone's "Apocalyse Now" is one of the most widely watched films about the conflict. Starring Tom Cruise and based on the life of real-life Marine Ron Kovic, this film challenges the idea of blind patriotism and war as chaos.
The movie is well-written, blending Stone's own account with the accounts of other Marines to make a vivid and realism film. While some aspects of the film are inaccurate, many viewers have found it compelling. It's difficult to find fault with the film, and many consider it one of the best war movies of all time.
The film is a satire on the war in Vietnam. In a way, it makes the war more believable, and is a great counterpoint to the more sensationalized movies of today. It's about the men who are fighting against the tyranny of the government. But there are plenty of satirical scenes in "Apocalypse Now" that are worth a watch, too.
Platoon is the last Vietnam soldier in AFI's top 100. It features Charlie Sheen as a grunt who searches for his moral compass in the midst of warring commanders. Similarly, Tom Cruise stars as the screenwriter Ron Kovic, who survived the Vietnam War as an infantryman. Charlie Sheen plays a young college student who joins a platoon near the Cambodian border and gets caught up in the bitter rivalry between two experienced NCOs - Staff Sergeant Barnes and Staff Sergeant Elias.
The film is based on Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, and transports the story from Africa to Vietnam through the Phillipines. Francis Ford Coppola and John Milius collaborated on the screenplay. Milius was a notorious hawk and had made numerous action movies. Despite these flaws, the film is regarded as a classic of American cinema.
Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods
This is a discussion of why Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods stands out among other films about the Vietnam War. While the film focuses on African American Vietnam War veterans, it also explores the complex emotional trauma these men endured. The movie's characters suffer various degrees of PTSD and the film explicitly references a number of Hollywood war movies. Specifically, Rambo (1980), Missing in Action (1984), and Apocalypse Now (1979) are explicitly referenced.
Despite its shortcomings, "Da 5 Bloods" remains one of the most important films about the Vietnam War. It is the first major film to depict the war through the eyes of Black soldiers, and Lee was a pioneer in presenting these men as patriots. They suffered disproportionate combat losses and returned home to a country that denied them civil rights. The lack of justice in the aftermath of the war leaves the black soldiers alienated and alone. Da 5 Bloods' unbroken line of black sacrifice gives the film a powerful, confrontational quality. However, the movie fails to address Floyd's murder.
Set primarily in the present day with flashbacks to the 1960s, "Da 5 Bloods" is Spike Lee's reckoning with the 'Nam. The movie centers around four Vietnam veterans who hid gold in Vietnam. The men formed an uneasy bond as soldiers and called themselves the "Da 5 Bloods." The gold, which they were attempting to return to the native tribe, was meant for payment to the local tribal lands. Their aims are noble and laudable.
"Da 5 Bloods" is Spike Lee's most ambitious film in years. It borrows a similar setup from his previous film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and frames a story that addresses the legacy of U.S. racism and imperialism. The film contains footnotes and tangents that span the history of African-American patriotism and Black Lives Matter. Despite its ambitious scope, Da 5 Bloods still makes an impact in the Vietnam War.
The Post
Based on a 1955 novel, The Post portrays the American involvement in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, an American journalist, Long Nguyen, is stationed in Vietnam to cover the unrest. He becomes a political prisoner and is tortured in a starvation camp. Later, he reunites with his son and Vietnamese wife, whom he has grown to love. The film takes place during the height of the Vietnam War, and the storyline is quite poignant.
The movie explores the psychology of war through interviews with Vietnam veterans. The film also features footage of the Catonsville Nine, who burned draft files and protested against the war in 1968. The Post also focuses on a US woman who goes to Vietnam to visit her biological family, and a U.S. soldier and his wife try to find their biological parents. The Post is one of the most popular Vietnam war movies that portrays the emotional toll of war and the effects on a country's citizens.
