We were soldiers is a 2002 american war film directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson. Last saturday night i went to see a showing of the justreleased vietnam war epic, we were soldiers. We were soldiers is a movie about the first american attack on the vietnamese. Hal moore, played by mel gibson in the film, those on the ground had only.
And young, the film tells the story of the first battle of the vietnam war from the perspective of two. The real story of mel gibsons we were soldiers, the. A vietnam film for vietnam veterans reel american history films. Based on the bestselling book, we were soldiers once. Is the film we were soldiers an accurate depiction of. Based on the book we were soldiers once and young 1992 by lieutenant general ret. There are moments of action which are needed in a war movie. The vietnam war drama, we were soldiers, tells the story of the.
Based on the book we were soldiers onceand young by joe galloway, the film is as much about battlefield bravery as it. We were soldiers is a 2002 war film that dramatizes the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965. The film was directed by randall wallace and stars mel gibson. Is the film we were soldiers an accurate depiction of the brutal combat soldiers faced in vietnam. The director and screenwriter of the movie, randall wallace, claimed the movie was as accurate as you could get. In my opinion the book, we were soldiers once, and young, is one of the best vietnam war memoirs. We were soldiers, directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson, takes us along with the u. It is based on the book we were soldiers once and young by lieutenant general ret. This, claims the films publicity, is the way vietnam really was. The film chronicles the famous battle of ia drang valley in south vietnams central highlands.
The movie is based on the excellent 1992 memoirhistory we were soldiers once and young, coauthored by retired general harold g. Hal moore, the army chief whose life was depicted by mel gibson in the 2002 vietnam film we were soldiers, has died at age 94. We were soldiers hangs on to the less problematic figures of the war movie the concerned commander, the tough, loveable sergeantmajor, the dedicated subaltern. Many films abandon realism and accuracy in favor of fielding a slick looking movie or indulging a. Putting together their interaction in the movie, a. The characters sergeant major plumley and sergeant ernie savage impressed me the most in the movie we were soldiers. Before long, eight men were dead and wounded, including herrick. Armys 7th air cavalry in 1965, when american troops were first becoming directly involved in fighting north vietnamese soldiers. Moore, who as an army colonel in 1965 commanded the first battalion of the seventh cavalry helicopterborne or airmobile troops in the battle.
Then came the 2002 movie, we were soldiers, starring mel gibson. Galloway, it dramatizes the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965. The films final version, though getting many of the facts of the book presented onto film, is not entirely a historically accurate portrayal of the battle, nor is it entirely. Is the film we were soldiers an accurate depiction of the brutal. Based on the bestselling book which details the events of the battle of lz xray in the ia drang valley. Hal moore, the decorated army chief whose life was depicted in the 2002 vietnam film we were soldiers based on his own book, has died. One of the military publishing houses released a scholarly treatment about the 1st aircav division, the unit in the movie. Overall, we were soldiers is an entertaining war movie that packs a punch. But given his track record of braveheart and pearl harbor, i was skeptical. We were soldiers is above average in accuracy and surprisingly factual for a randall wallace and mel gibson. It may not have 100% of historical accuracy, but we were soldiers does show realism towards the battle of ia drang. Movies are typically very poor at representing war because the reality of war isnt all that exciting or pleasant to watch.