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 We Were Soldiers (2002)Rated: R for sustained sequences of graphic war violence, and for language. Runtime: 138 mins. Director: Randall Wallace Writer: Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway Tagline: Fathers, brothers, husbands and sons.... Cast: Mel Gibson, Sam Elliot, Chris Klein, Madeleine Stowe....complete cast Genre: Action/Drama/War Most memorable quote: "I will leave no one behind. Dead, or alive, we will all come home together."
Review by Frank Wilkins
What were initially the first offensive tactics of the Viet Nam conflict would soon became a fight for survival. Countless U.S. and enemy soldiers are slaughtered after three days of hell and the remaining Americans realize that it's just a matter of time before they will be completely overrun. We Were Soldiers reunites Mel Gibson with Braveheart director Randall Wallace in this visceral depiction of the battle of the Ia Drang Valley. American journalist and Civilian War Correspondent Joseph Galloway was witness to the battle and accompanies Hal Moore as writer of the novel, We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, that later became the inspiration for Wallace's screen depiction. Gibson again impresses, convincingly changing from a caring and religious husband and father, to the hard-nosed, battle weathered hero, Lt. Col. Hal Moore. How could you cast anyone else in the role? Sam Elliott (The Big Lebowski) joins Moore as Sgt. Major Basil Plumley, the unapproachable officer who, when told to have a good day quips, "how do you know what kind of goddamn day it is?" Plumley becomes invaluable to his men on the battlefield however. Madeleine Stowe portrays Moore's wife, and in a way, mirrors her husband's duties as the leader of the soldiers' wives in their struggle to deal with the deaths of their loved ones. There is a startling but true depiction of the way the U.S. Military was unprepared to handle the notification of the the families of fallen soldiers. Barry Pepper, who played the bible-verse-spouting-sniper in Saving Private Ryan, steals the show as journalist Joseph Galloway, who is thrown into the fire of battle and forced to fight for his own survival as the platoon becomes over run by the enemy. The horror of the event is reflected in his glassy eyes and the blood and guts of the terror of war is worn on his face as a scar that will never go away. Unlike many of the most recent war movies, We Were Soldiers, broadens the scope of its depiction of war. In Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan, both very effective and successful depictions of war, we see the destruction of the American soldier. We learn of their personal battles and their sacrifices of love and family. We Were Soldiers expands this view and we are given a glimpse into the mind of the enemy soldier. We learn that the Viet Namese soldier has a wife and a child - we see that the dead Viet Namese soldier clutches in his hand, a photograph of his young, beautiful wife - we learn that he is just as frightened of battle as is his American enemy. Although realistic in its depictions of the horror of the battlefield, the story becomes an extension of the soldier's psyche, telling a tale of war's emotional impact on humanity. In the end, We Were Soldiers is not a feel-good movie. Yet, just as after seeing Black Hawk Down, we are left with a good feeling deep in our souls knowing that there are men and women who are willing to lay down their lives and sacrifice all they have for those Americans who, like myself, are afraid of war. Frank Wilkins Read visitor comments and postings here Read or post comments about this film on the Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1 Subtitles: English, Closed Captioned. Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; trailer; deleted scenes with optional commentary; director's commentary; making-of featurette. 
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