THE VIETNAM WAR IN FILM

Jake Ranney
Pd 6B
 INTRODUCTION

The Vietnam War has had a large impact on movies for decades.
Some of the most classic movies, such as Apocalypse Now, Full
Metal Jacket, and Forrest Gump were based off the Vietnam War
and some are even based on true stories. Most of these films
have very different tones and perspectives of the war. These are
the most popular and impactful films based on the Vietnam War.

Warning: Some of the scenes shown in this presentation contain

graphic violence and language.
 THE GREEN BERETS (1968)

The Green Berets is an American film released in 1968 directed

by Ray Kellogg and John Wayne. It is about two teams of Green
Berets that kidnap a North Vietnamese general. It was one of
the first movies based on the Vietnam War, and was
filmed before the Tet Offensive. The film had a
large anti-Communist and pro-war sentiment and did not portray the war like
many of the rest of the movies in this presentation. Instead of a gritty, realistic
view, it provided a lighthearted tone that did not do justice to the lives lost in
Vietnam.
The Green Berets (1968) Official Trailer # 1 - John Wayne HD
 THE DEER HUNTER (1978)

The Deer Hunter is an American film released in 1978

directed by Michael Cimino. It is about three factory workers
from Pennsylvania who go to Vietnam and are
captured by Vietcong. The movie then shows
how, after the war, their lives are affected. It presents a
dark tone not really seen before in films about the Vietnam War. It won 5
Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Russian Roulette - The Deer Hunter (4/8) Movie CLIP (1978) HD
 APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)

Apocalypse Now is an American film released in 1979 directed

by Francis Ford Coppola. The film follows Captain Benjamin L.
Willard on a secret mission to assassinate the renegade
and insane ColonelWalter E. Kurtz. This movie is presented in
a very long and hallucinogenic fashion, and is very
surreal. The film is known to have had many troubles
during production, such as actors nearly dying and expensive sets being
destroyed by storms. It could be said that these production troubles were a
metaphor for the Vietnam War itself.
Ride of the Valkyries - Apocalypse Now (3/8) Movie CLIP (1979) HD
 PLATOON (1986)

Platoon is a an American film released in 1986 directed by

Oliver Stone. The film follows a young recruit in
Vietnam who faces a moral crisis when confronted with
the horrors of war and the duality of man.
Director Oliver Stone was a Vietnam War veteran himself,
and wrote the screenplay to counter the positive vision
portrayed in the aforementioned The Green Berets. The
film won 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Platoon (7/10) Movie CLIP - The Death of Sgt. Elias (1986) HD
 FULL METAL JACKET (1987)

Full Metal Jacket is a British-American film released in 1987

directed by Stanley Kubrick. It follows a platoon of U.S.
Marines through their training and the experiences of two
of the platoon's Marines in the Tet Offensive. One of the
Marines, nicknamed Joker, is assigned to be a
photojournalist and documents his experiences during the Tet
Offensive. Full Metal Jacket accurately depicts the life of a
Marine Corps grunt with a mocking and harsh tone.
Full Metal Jacket (1987) Official Trailer - Stanley Kubrick Movie HD
 GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM (1987)

Good Morning, Vietnam is an American film released in

1987 directed by Barry Levinson. It follows radio DJ Adrian
Cronauer whose controversial humor is debated by his
superiors and the US Military stationed in Vietnam. He also
befriends a Vietnamese man who is revealed to be
a Viet Cong. This film takes a lighthearted and comedic tone at
times, but also presents a dramatic story about the conditions
of the Vietnamese peoples lives.
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World (Good Morning, Vietnam's Soundtra
ck
)
 BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989)

Born on the Fourth of July is an American film released in

1989 directed by Oliver Stone. The film follows the true
story of a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who struggles
through life after the war and becomes an anti-war
protester. Born on the Fourth of July explores the
point of view of the veteran who, after losing almost
everything, comes back in the end and is an inspiration to
many.
Your Yankee Doodle Dandy Come Home - Born on the Fourth of July (8/9) Movie
CLIP (1989) HD
 FORREST GUMP (1994)

Forrest Gump is an American film released in 1994

directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is about a slow-witted
man from Alabama who unintentionally shows
up in many major events in US history from
Elvis Presleys hip-dancing to the desegregation of
Little Rock Central High School to, of course, the Vietnam War. After the war,
he becomes caught up in anti-war protests. The film presents a comedic but
dramatic tone and the scenes that take place in Vietnam are both emotional
and realistic.
Bubba Goes Home - Forrest Gump (4/9) Movie CLIP (1994) HD
 WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002)

We Were Soldiers is an American film released in 2002

directed by Randall Wallace. The film follows the 7th
Cavalry Regiment at the battle of Ia Drang Valley and their
struggle of 400 men against 4000. It was based off the book
We Were Soldiers Once And Young written by
Lieutenant General Hal Moore. Moore was sick of
every movie getting the Vietnam War wrong, and made sure that We Were
Soldiers was accurate. The film does not hold back on the violence and is a
very accurate portrayal of the war.
We Were Soldiers (5/9) Movie CLIP - Arriving in North Vietnam (2002) HD
 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007)

Across the Universe is a British-American film released in

2007 directed by Julie Taymor. It follows a group of friends
during the 60s, when one of them is drafted to serve in the
Vietnam War, while the rest become anti-war protesters.
The film is a musical set to the music of the
Beatles, and is presented in a very psychedelic and
dramatic manner.
Across The Universe - Strawberry Fields Forever
 TROPIC THUNDER (2008)

Tropic Thunder is an American film released in 2008 directed

by Ben Stiller. Though not technically taking place during
the Vietnam War, the comedy film follows a group of
stereotypical actors making a film about the war. They are
dropped off in the deep jungle of Vietnam and a group of
Vietnamese heroin manufacturers mistake them for actual
American soldiers and capture the main actor. This movie is a
very satirical look at movies about the Vietnam War themselves and a
directors struggle for realism in his film.
Tropic Thunder (2/10) Movie CLIP - Most Dramatic War Movie (2008) HD
 CONCLUSION

The Vietnam War has definitely been portrayed in film in a

variety of different ways, from realistic to satirical. There are so
many more films that are based off the Vietnam War, but most
are less popular than the ones featured in this presentation. In
any case, the war has effectively taken its place in cinema.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Across the Universe. Dir. Julie Taymor. Perf. Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess. Revolution, 2007. Online.
Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall. Lionsgate, 1979. Online.
Born on the Fourth of July. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. Tom Cruise and Raymond J. Barry. Universal, 1989. Online.
The Deer Hunter. Dir. Michael Cimino. Perf. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken. Universal, 1978. Online.
Forrest Gump. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Paramount, 1994. Online.
Full Metal Jacket. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Matthew Modine and Adam Baldwin. Warner Bros., 1987. Online.
Good Morning, Vietnam. Dir. Barry Levinson. Perf. Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker. Touchstone, 1988. Online.
The Green Berets. Dir. John Wayne, Ray Kellogg, and Mervyn LeRoy. Perf. John Wayne and Jim Hutton. Warner Bros.,
1968. Online.
Platoon. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe. MGM, 1986. Online.
Tropic Thunder. Dir. Ben Stiller. Perf. Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. Dreamworks, 2008. Online.
We Were Soldiers. Dir. Randall Wallace. Perf. Mel Gibson and Madeline Stowe. Icon, 2002. Online.