We Were Soldiers

Released 2002
Stars Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Sam Elliott, Greg Kinnear, Chris Klein, Josh Daugherty, Barry Pepper, Keri Russell
Directed by Randall Wallace

We Were Soldiers is a gritty, incredibly realistic film about the first major conflict between U.S. and Vietnamese troops. The year is 1965, and the U.S. military is itching to engage the enemy. They want to gauge the capabilities of the Vietnames, and they particularly want to see how effective the use of helicopters will be in battle. No army willingly walks into an ambush, but the U.S. was so anxious to fight that's just what they did. The enemy is reported in the vicinity of the Ia Drang Valley (a.k.a. "The Valley of Death"), so the brass sends in the 7th Cavalry to smoke them out. The 7th is led by Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson). He knows it's a mistake, but those are his orders. Shortly after establishing their LZ (landing zone), they encounter the enemy and capture a probable scout who claims to be a deserter. Sgt-Maj. Plumley (Sam Elliott) easily hoists the small NVA (North Vietnamese Army) soldier into the air and plops him on the ground. I imagine this maneuver is what unnerves the man into spilling his guts about the NVA position, and he tells Moore the worst possible news he could hear. The enemy outnumbers the Americans 10-1, and they're facing well-entrenched NVA soldiers--not the untrained Viet Cong guerillas. Moore is afraid he's going to repeat General Custer's (who also led the 7th Battalion) mistake of walking into a massive ambush, but his only choice is to fight his way out. This sets up the intense three day battle that results in heavy casualties for both sides.

The film is based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young", which was written by Hal Moore and reporter Joe Galloway (played by Barry Pepper). Screenwriter/director Randall Wallace used the real-life Moore, Galloway, other survivors of the battle, and wives and children of the soldiers as consultants in the movie to capture as much realism as possible. The end result is breath-takingly intense as we're thrust into the relentless battle. The battle's scope is impressive, and Wallace makes us feel like there really are 4000 NVA soldiers raining down upon 400 Americans. His use of movie magic is brilliant in this respect, and the CGI is seamlessly blended into the real footage. If you want to look for criticisms, I think Wallace lays Moore's promise to be the first into the battle and the last man off the field a little thick. This could have been a little more subtle, which would have made Moore seem even more heroic (if that's possible). The worst moment in the film is the final scene with the taxi, which is a blatant hack (no pun intended), but those are minor quibbles. This is an outstanding film that shows the heroism of American soldiers in an impossible situation, and it should shame any American who greeted returning soldiers with scorn.

Summary by Bill Alward, September 8, 2002