We Were Soldiers Film Review

What was the film about? Briefly describe the topic or plot.

We Were Soldiers is a film based on the Battle of la Drang in mid-November

1965. The film starts with Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore being chosen to command a

new battalion and train them. When he and his battalion, the 1 st Batallion, 7th Cavalry

Regiment, arrive in Vietnam they are sent to the Valley of Death, the la Drang Valley.

These roughly 400 soldiers were sent into the heart of a North Vietnamese camp with

ten times the men. Almost immediately upon arrival, 2 nd Lieutenant Henry Herrick leads

a platoon into an ambush which kills many men and leaves them surrounded. On their

second day on the ground in Vietnam, Moore and his men are overrun by hostile North

Vietnamese which leads him to call in Broken Arrow. Broken Arrow allows all available

combat crafts to attack. This kills most of the Vietnamese troops but some friendly fire

kills American soldier too. Herricks troops are reunited with the cavalry and the troops

secure the area. There is one final attack from the North Vietnamese but it is repelled by

the helicopter gunners. After this attack, the North Vietnamese headquarters are

evacuated because there are no soldiers left between them and the American forces.

With the task completed, the helicopters return to take Moore and his men out of the

valley, living or dead. However, after the American troops leave the North Vietnamese

retake control of the valley. Moore returns to the U.S. a year later after serving at

different stations in Vietnam. There was also an emotional plotline in the film dealing

with Moores relations with his soldier and family as well as his wifes life in the U.S.

dealing with the repercussions of the war.

Who was the most interesting character(s) in the film and why?

I found Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore to be the most interesting since he was the

main character and the film followed his life. Your first glimpse of him is not a war

hardened veteran, but a kindhearted family man. He has a wife and five children who he

cares about dearly and comes home to at the end of the film after being in Vietnam for a

year. His relationship with his troops is very important to him and he shows this in

multiple ways. One way was by him being the first man on the ground during the battle

and the last one to leave. He also refuses to leave the dead behind and insists they are

returned home. He believes and wants his troops to believe that they are all family

because they will only have each other while they are overseas fighting. His relationship

with 2nd Lieutenant Jack Geoghegan reinforces his belief that his troops are part of his

family. Towards the end of the movie you see an older Moore in Washington D.C.

visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial looking wistfully at the names of the men he

served with at la Drang. Moore is a man of honor and that is showcased throughout the

whole film and is why his troops and family look up to him.

How did the film portray the people and the history of the Vietnam War era? Do you

believe the film was accurate or believable, or not? Why?

I think the film pretty accurately portrayed the people of the Vietnam War era but

since it is a movie the characters were slightly dramatized. While it possible that the

Americans were as valiant, unafraid, and righteous in the war, they probably suffered

from things like emotional and physical exhaustion, doubt, and anger that are not

portrayed in the film. I also do not think the North Vietnamese were as evil as they were
portrayed, they are human and probably believed they were doing the right thing.

Moores wife Julia is one of the most realistic characters because she shows a multitude

of emotions that one would experience during times of high stress. She gets upset when

she sees the yellow taxi delivering letters and is constantly fearful that one of the letters

will be for her, which is completely rational. She also takes it upon herself as a

seasoned military wife to help the other wives come to terms with life during the war.

Lieutenant Colonel Moore is a little less realistic since he is never fazed during the war

and is always calm and collected regardless of the situation. Towards the end when

they find the journal on a Vietnamese soldier, that is the only time in the film it is shown

that the Vietnamese may have complex lives just like the Americans. Overall though the

film was believable and mostly accurate.

What did you think of this film? Would you recommend this film to others? Why, or why

not?

For the most part, I enjoyed the film and would probably watch it again. I do not

usually watch war films so it was a good change from what I am used to. It was a tad

violent and graphic for my taste, but for others who are used to seeing these things

would probably enjoy it more than I did since some parts were particularly cringe-

worthy. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone, even those who know nothing

about the Vietnam War or those who are experts on it. The film focuses on more than

the actual war but on how it affects those around it so it can appeal to people who are

not a large fan of war films. I am glad I chose We Were Soldiers out of all the films that

were offered, I believe it was a good choice.