Which is the DADDY of vietnam war-films?

[jbob]

Easily Apocalypse Now. Anyone who goes for Deer Hunter is a real sentimentalist lightweight.

Well, I agree and have gone with AN. I'd disagree that DH is lightweight, perhaps a touch sentimental and politically dodgy, though. The russian roulette scene is still one of the best bits of cinema ever.

 

[Gromit]

As much as I like AN and even have it on DVD I voted FMJ.

I can watch FMJ over and over. I have to be in the right mood for AN.

 

[Hollis]

They're frankly all bollocks.

Truth is better than fiction. "Hearts and Minds" shits on the lot of them.. the 8 hour DVD footage of NBC coverage aint' bad either.

 

[Orang Utan]

Does Jacob's Ladder count as a Vietnam film?

 

[Belushi]

Apocalypse Now by far, Full Metal Jacket is very good.

Loved Platoon when I was fourteen, less so nowadays but still a good movie.

Remember seeing a v.good Vietnamese one years ago on CH4, something like 'Little Girl from Hanoi'.

 

[London_Calling]

Apocalypse Now is the best Yank film, but it's more of a Disney meets Woodstock ride with a Nam theme, simply relocating "Heart of Darkness" to Indo-China without too much concern about anything other than entertainment. Great story, acting and scenes but could just as easily be Pirates of the Carribean though.

Save me the trouble of writing something similar.

Generally though - to one extent or another – they all propagate that curious dimension of Anglo-Saxon culture that celebrates warfare, often doing it under a guise of art or some such. They continue the on-going indoctrination (of the populations of the USA/UK) into implicitly understanding warfare is acceptable and moral, and a quite reasonable course of action. Film even teaches us how to respond, whether it be with flag waving or yellow ribbons, or ‘stiff upper lips’. Thankfully, most of the rest of the world understands this to be madness.

 

[Reno]

Apocalypse Now is great for the first two thirds and then falls apart and becomes a selfindulgent mess. There is a documentary about the many problems during the production of the film which I find more gripping than the film itself called Hearts of Darkness. The Deer Hunter is a gripping film, just a bit too racist for my liking.

I never liked Platoon, but then I don't like Oliver Stones sledge hammer approach in general and Full Metal Jacket is fantastic for the first half and then looses it after the training section.

Brian De Palma's Casualties of War ("That Michael J. Fox one") is a very underrated film IMO and would be my pick of the bunch. It's also relevant to what the US army gets up to in Iraq right now.

 

[mrs quoad]

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This poll is not fair

How TF can I hope to answer that?

I've watched Apocalypse Now more than most of the others because I was stoned or tripping my buns off for several years; but they're fundamentally incombestible. Deer Hunter is fkn hard to watch when blitzed, but I fkn love it now I'm clean. I still love Apocalypse Now too (particularly redux) and Platoon and FMJ have always been on my top few list.

Misquestiondirectabilified poll

*self destructs in blaze of self-righteous miffedness*

 

[Reno]

Fuck, how did you do that ? Your post is pocking into my lounge.

 

[The Groke]

Overall, I think Apocalypse probably is the daddy........

That said, it makes me so exhausted - especially the redux - that I don't watch it very often.

Full Metal Jacket is more usable on a daily basis, so I voted for that.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Apoc Now by far.

The insanity and barbarity of a pointless war brilliantly realised. Gi Joe going loco and uncle sams ideals of a 'noble fight for freedom' falling apart in a storm of drugs, violence and psychosis.

 

[treefrog]

Full Metal Jacket, I love that film

I watched Apocalypse Now years ago at Uni. I wasn't on drugs, or on anything stronger tahn tea, but by the end I felt like I was stoned to fuck. Never watched it again...

 

[gsv]

What do you mean it's not a Vietnam film?

GS(v)

 

[Reno]

GS(v)

Winner !

 

[billy_bob]

Platoon's utter shite, along with every other film that Oliver Stone's so much as even thought of making.

Although I can see the appeal of Apocalypse Now, I find it absurd and bombastic and I can't get over the unfavourable comparisons with Conrad's book.

Deerhunter - I like it but it's way too sentimental to be a great film.

Got to be Full Metal Jacket really.

 

[billy_bob]

Fuck, how did you do that ? Your post is pocking into my lounge.

If you hold up a bit of white paper to the right of your monitor, you'll find the a's just continue neatly onto it.

 

[Spion]

Apocalypse Now.

But once you've read the books it's based on it looks a bit thin

 

[Iam]

Probably:

Apocalypse Now
Full Metal Jacket
Platoon

in that order.

The TV series Tour of Duty, although not a film, is worthy of a mention, too.

 

[Grandma Death]

Apocalypse Now-no question.

 

[Griff]

Apocalypse Now-no question.

Yep, saw it tripping in Israel then Redux version at the pictures in London years later and was left speechless at the end. What a film.

 

[nino_savatte]

Apocalypse Now!

Btw, it's really an anti-war film.

But for pure, chest-beating gung ho, apologetic crap, it has to be The Green Berets.

 

[Flashman]

Coming Home in a Body Bag.