“War at its worst, men at their best.” from DVD box

I’ve seen most of the Vietnam inspired films. Those of you who have been with me since I started writing film reviews on the Web will probably have read my reviews of Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, and one of my all-time favorites, Siege of Firebase Gloria.

The first three films are big budget Hollywood showpieces that probably say more about their makers’ political views than anything else. Firebase Gloria, on the other hand, is a gritty, in-your-face view of how a typical rifle company met the test of combat during the brutal Tet Offensive of 1968. Hamburger Hill is more along the lines of Gloria than the more well-known Vietnam epics. It shows the grit, determination, and heroism of the “little guy,” the guy who must get out in the long grass with his rifle while the planners sit back in air-conditioned comfort many miles behind the front lines.

This point of view suits me just fine. It’s all well and good to peek over the general’s shoulder and share his grand design, but I often prefer to view war from the more personal perspective of the combat soldier.

An extremely effective use of this angle was recently seen in the hit film Black Hawk Down, and those of you who have seen this epic motion picture will know what to expect from Hamburger Hill - a film that illustrates the pointlessness of the Vietnam experience better than all the rest because it shows the GIs were fighting for their very lives against a determined enemy while doggedly trying to take Hill 937, a feature of absolutely no strategic or tactical significance, except to the planners back in the air-conditioned rear.

This true story depicts eleven assaults in ten days of May, 1969. Again and again the troops charge up the muddy hill only to be repulsed with heavy casualties - 70% by the time the job was done.

Much like the heroes who took Pork Chop Hill in the earlier Korean War, our heroes eventually took Hamburger Hill, only to abandon it on orders “from above.”

The director zeroes in on one infantry squad of the 101st Airborne Division. The main characters are the two sergeants, Stephen Weber and Dylan McDermott in charge of the squad. Some character development takes place early on with Doc (Courtney B. Vance) briefing the new troops on how to brush their teeth. “You will brush your teeth using a rapid, vertical motion. That’s up and down to you rebels.”

McDermott briefs the FNGs (Foolish New Guys) on the enemy. "Forget about that VC crap. He will be hunting you in the Ashau. If you meet him once you will give him respect and call him Nathaniel Victor. If you meet him twice and survive you will call him MISTER Nathaniel Victor." The two sergeants are shown unwinding at the local brothel before heading out to the Ashau Valley to take the hill. Then the soldiers are off to the hill… Further insights into the men’s character are shown during the lulls in the battle. But the battle is the real star of this picture.

The cast was all unknown at the time but included the aforementioned Dylan McDermott, who anchored the story with his presence. Stephen Weber, Courtney B. Vance, Don Cheadle, Michael Patrick Boatman, Tim Quill, and Don James make up most of the other speaking parts.

After several vain assaults, the squad is dumbfounded to find a film crew waiting at the base of the hill interviewing the exhausted fighting men as they come down from another failed attempt. Most pass by without remarking, but Sgt. Frantz (Dylan McDermott) gives them a piece of his mind that will resonate with some viewers and be remembered by all.

Director John Irvin did a good job of telling his story with pictures and used a lot of minimalist techniques like revered director Lewis Milestone was fond of. Milestone directed three moving war pics All Quiet on the Western Front, A Walk in the Sun, and Pork Chop Hill. While often eschewing overt violence in favor of symbolism like a helmet rolling down hill, Irvin did throw in the occasional horrific scene that will set the viewer’s stomach to churning. Photography by Peter MacDonald was very good as was the martial score by Philip Glass.

A moving poem written by a soldier in Dak To, Vietnam scrolls across the blackened screen and so closes the film.

The Artisan DVD is offered in 1.85: 1 Widescreen format. The color and sound are very well preserved in this 1989 film. Based on a true story, Hamburger Hill is probably the most authentic Vietnam epic. I recommend it to history buffs, war film fans, and anybody who wonders “What was it like?”

For further Vietnam War viewing:

We Were Soldiers

Apocalypse Now

Platoon

Full Metal Jacket

Go Tell The Spartans

The Green Berets

Siege of Firebase Gloria

Happy viewing!


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening