We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)
by Randall Wallace
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Actor: Chris Klein, Greg Kinnear, Madeleine Stowe, Mel Gibson, Sam ElliottDirector: Randall Wallace
Brand: GIBSON,MEL
Writer: Randall Wallace
Producer: Arne Schmidt
Producer: Bruce Davey
Producer: Danielle Lemmon Zapotoczny
Producer: Eveleen Bandy
Writer: Harold G. Moore
Writer: Joseph L. Galloway
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 138 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-08-20
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
Product features:
- TESTED
DVD Reviews of We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: A Refreshingly Uncommon War Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
We Were Soldiers is a compelling war movie seen from multiple perspectives. It is a refreshingly uncommon war movie. The movie disapproves of war. However, acknowledging that war does exist, this movie celebrates the heroism that can be found in it.
We Were Soldiers not only gives us a look at the soldiers whose side we're on, but the enemy soldiers as well. It shows that these are people too; they have girlfriends, wives, sons and daughters, just as `our guys' do. The movie also shows us very accurately how war can affect these people who have relationships with the soldiers.
We Were Soldiers takes place in 1965; America has just entered the Vietnam War. The movie is centered on the 7th Air Cavalry unit. This new form of cavalry rides into battle not on horses, but in helicopters. The movie focuses on the soldiers, their relationships with one another and their relationships with their families.
The combination of realistic characters, a dramatic script and a heart-rending story may make viewers' emotions run high. The movie was much more than gunfights and special effects. Relationships were explored, and emotion was evident in each character, not always being expressed, but you could see it lying just under the surface. It would be difficult to see the film in its entirety without tearing up.
Inspiring acts of heroism are celebrated throughout the movie. Selfless acts of bravery were apparent throughout the film. People had to make sacrifices, and they were rarely for their own benefit. These acts were also ironic in that many men died for the dead.
A huge slice at the beginning of the movie is used to get the audience familiar to the soldiers in the 7th Air Cavalry. You get to know their families and their daily lives. This is especially the case with young Lt. Jack Geoghegan (Chris Klein) whose wife is due with a baby. Klein played a much more sophisticated character in Geoghegan than he is used to (2001's American Pie 2, 2002's Rollerball). Despite this, I think he did a commendable job.
Getting familiar with the soldiers only serves to make the deaths of the soldiers hit us harder. The deaths of the soldiers hurt us more when we find out news of their death is sent from Vietnam via telegrams. It falls to Moore's wife to deliver these telegrams to the various families of the deceased, and we see these epitaphs in all their misery. These poignant scenes show us the full extent of the tragedy of death. They also force the viewers to ask some questions about war that one doesn't always keep in mind. Is it really worth it? In war you need to know that the forces that made the war occur tried to do everything they could to prevent it from happening. War needs to be a last resort. This is clear from the outright pain and grief it causes other human beings.
The beginning also creates a sense of foreboding. The first scene of the movie is of a French troupe of soldiers being massacred in the la Drang Valley. This is the same valley in which the battle between Moore's troops and the Vietnamese was fought. Also, the name of Moore's troops, the 7th cavalry, is identical to that of the fabled General Custer. Custer was a successful commander like Moore himself until his entire unit was massacred. Foreshadowing perhaps?
Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) is an accomplished commander that is appointed as the leader of this unit. Mel Gibson (1995's Braveheart, 2000's What Women Want) delivers a stunning performance as Moore, the loyal leader who commands the 7th Air Cavalry. Gibson is familiar with the role of a courageous, inspiring leader (Braveheart, The Patriot). Therefore, playing Moore probably wasn't a challenge for Gibson. However, I can forgive him because he played the part flawlessly. The character Gibson plays is both concerned about and dedicated to the troops he leads. On the eve of the cavalry's departure to Vietnam, Moore proclaims, "When we go into battle, I will be the first to step on the field and I will be the last to step off." Soon, the unit is called into battle and they travel to Vietnam, to a world of war, violence, and destruction.
We Were Soldiers is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once... and Young written by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway. Randall Wallace, who directed it, also wrote the screenplay. Wallace also wrote 1995's Braveheart, 1998's The Man in the Iron Mask, and 2001's Pearl Harbor. Wallace and Gibson have paired up before, and in Braveheart, the two were extremely successful together. Wallace is obviously no newcomer to screenwriting and did a nice job converting the book into a form suitable for film. He also does a good job directing the film. He had previously directed 1998's The Man in the Iron Mask, so this was not his first movie. Violent war movies can be a tricky and nauseating experience if the battle scenes aren't filmed with expertise. The war scenes in the film were organized and clear, however they didn't fail to portray the reality of a real life gun battle. Specifically the scene with the "hot LZ" was particularly well done. Somehow Randall gave us a clear picture of the mayhem that was there along with showing us coherent shots that left us with no questions as to what was occurring.
Although We Were Soldiers might at times be graphic and at others emotionally tough, there is some comic relief. Sgt. Maj. Plumley (Sam Elliott) is Colonel Moore's strict second-in-command. Elliot is an experienced actor who has been on the scene since the late 60's (1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1998's The Big Lewbowski). However, I think Plumley posed a fun and fresh character for Elliot, and he played it to perfection. Elliot's experience was an invaluable asset to the film. Plumley's demeanor alone was always enough to give me a hearty chuckle. I found myself repeating one of Plumley's lines on multiple occasions, one that involves a fellow soldiers comment on the weather.
We Were Soldiers is rated R, and for good reason. Many of the gunfights in the la Drang valley and instances with napalm at the end of the movie are hard to stomach. However, it is my belief that you need to show the world what war really is, how horrific and gruesome it can get. Powdering war up like a geisha is as good as lying to someone. We Were Soldiers is the real deal; it gives us the impact of war and the reality of it in its entirety. People should see this movie, as it not only entertaining and captivating, but will also develop your understanding of war. And in this, world, we desperately need this understanding. Especially in the one we live in today.
Description of We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)
Mel Gibson and Randall Wallace, the star and writer of Braveheart, reunite for this action-packed war movie that features explosive battle sequences, thrilling aerial photography and unforgettable military heroes who fought for their country, their loved ones and their freedom. The year is 1965 and America is at War with North Vietnam. Commanding the air cavalry is Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Gibson), a born leader committed to his troops. His target: the La Drang Valley, called ?The Valley of Death.? As Moore prepares for one of the most violent battles in U.S. history, he delivers a stirring promise to his soldiers and their families: ?I will leave no man behind?dead or alive. We will all come home together.? This heroic true story of commitment, courage and sacrifice also stars Madeline Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, Keri Russell and Barry Pepper.Based on the book by Lt. Col. Harold Moore (ret.) and journalist Joseph Galloway, We Were Soldiers offers a dignified reminder that the Vietnam War yielded its own crop of American heroes. Departing from Hollywood's typically cynical treatment of the war, writer-director Randall Wallace focuses on the first engagement of American soldiers with the North Vietnamese enemy in November 1965. Moore (played with colorful nuance by Mel Gibson) and nearly 400 inexperienced troopers from the U.S. Air Cavalry were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese Army soldiers, and the film re-creates this brutal firefight with graphic authenticity, while telling the parallel story of grieving army wives back home. While UPI reporter Galloway (Barry Pepper) risks his life to chronicle the battle, Wallace offers a balanced (though somewhat fictionalized) perspective while eliciting laudable performances from an excellent cast. Like the best World War II dramas of the 1940s, We Were Soldiers pays tribute to brave men while avoiding the pitfalls of propaganda. --Jeff Shannon
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