The Vietnam War, a history full of blood and fire, is also an important subject that cannot be ignored in the history of cinema. Vietnam War movies are not only a recreation of war, but also an in-depth understanding of human nature, fate and friendship**. Today, we will introduce you to ten classic Vietnam War movies, which show various aspects of this war in their own unique ways, let's step into these movies together and feel the shock and contemplation of that period of history.
1."Apocalypse Now": Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, it tells the story of Captain Wilder, a U.S. military intelligence officer, who received the order to assassinate the officer Kurtz, and ventured into Cambodia in a patrol boat to experience a series of cruel and absurd war baptisms during the Vietnam War.
2."The Deer Hunter" tells the story of the different life experiences of American steelworkers Michael, Nick, and Stephen after they participated in the Vietnam War, and profoundly exposes the great trauma caused by the war to ordinary Americans. "Deer Hunter" is one of the early masterpieces of Vietnam War reflection films, the film won the 51st Academy Awards in 1979 for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing and Best Sound 5 awards, and also won the 36th Golden Globe Awards for Best Director in the film category in the same year.
3."Field Platoon" is an American war film released in 1986, directed and produced by Oliver Stone, co-starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, etc. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the film tells the story of a naïve recruit who is incorporated into an infantry detachment, and while on a mission with other fighters, he quickly learns the harsh reality that "the only reason to fight is to find a way to keep himself alive".
4."Killing Field" Synopsis: "Killing Field" is a film about the friendship and the brutality of war between two war correspondents during the Vietnam War. Set against the backdrop of the 1972 U.S. military rout in Vietnam and Cambodia, the film tells the story of the experiences of New York Times war correspondent in Cambodia Sini and local translator and assistant Pandey. The two formed a deep friendship in the midst of the war, but in the end their fates were very different. The film deeply reflects on the impact of war on humanity by showing the cruelty and absurdity of war, as well as the helplessness and resistance of the protagonists to fate. The film won three awards at the 57th Academy Awards in 1985: Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.
5.Set in the Vietnam War, "Heaven and Earth" tells the story of a Vietnamese teenage girl who is full of ups and downs in the war, and her later struggle after following her husband to the United States. In the film, in a rice-rich village in central Vietnam, the Feng family gave birth to a girl named Li Li (played by Yao Zhili), who, like other locals, lives an equal life with her father as heaven and mother as earth. But from an early age, she began to experience the devastation of war and the hardships of life. Unexpectedly, fate had arranged for her to be displaced to a place called the United States. What she didn't expect was that Steele, who had brought her here. Major Butler (Tommy Lee Jones), who has changed from the warmth and thoughtfulness he had in Vietnam, has become a completely different person.
6."Blitzkrieg" Synopsis: The film tells the story of a reconnaissance team of the ** squadron going deep behind the enemy lines of the Vietnamese army and destroying the heavy artillery positions of the Vietnamese army. The squad was codenamed "Lightning", with a calm and witty reconnaissance staff officer Liu Kai (Du Zhenqing) as the captain, and led several resourceful team members to set off overnight under the cover of artillery fire, got rid of the pursuit, and destroyed the enemy's "mysterious artillery group".
7."Good Morning Vietnam" Synopsis: It is an American war comedy film released in 1987, directed by Barry Levinson, starring Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker. The film is based on the personal experience of a radio host, and the content is particularly realistic and vivid. The film tells the story of a radio host who was very popular with the audience because of his particularly high level of hosting, so he was transferred to Vietnam by the military to serve as a program host for the US military radio station. However, the top officials are not satisfied with his performance and even threaten him because the humorous Robin is a rebellion against their position of authority. Not only that, Robin "guided" all American soldiers through his radio to oppose the war, oppose **, and oppose the use of war by high-ranking officials to make a fortune. Here, Robin represents justice, freedom and equality. This film reflects the Vietnam War in a sideways way, which is unique among similar films. In addition, the many 60s pop songs shuttled in the film can also evoke nostalgia for middle-aged audiences.
8."Born on the Fourth of July" is a biographical film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Tom Cruise and Keira Sedgwick, released in the United States on December 20, 1989. The film is based on the autobiography of the same name by veteran Ron Kowick**, which tells the story of Lang, a hot-blooded young man who was inspired by the Vietnam War speech of the United States** to join the army and participate in the war, and finally came to his senses after experiencing a real and cruel war, and began to hold high the story of the anti-war banner.
9."We Were Warriors" tells the true story of the Battle of Duc Lang Valley in 1965 when the U.S. Army invaded the Duc Lang River Valley in the central highlands of Vietnam at the beginning of the Vietnam War. In November 1965, the first large-scale military operation of the U.S. military in Vietnam, 450 U.S. troops and more than 2,000 Vietnamese troops fought in close quarters. 450 soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division of the US Army landed unknowingly and unprepared in the center of the North Vietnamese army's concentration under blind command. The North Vietnamese had already deployed more than 2,000 troops around the landing site, and the fighters of the 1st Battalion had to face an enemy nearly five times their size. Despite the strong long-range and aerial fire support behind them, after all, the disparity in numbers meant that the officers and men of the first battalion had to engage in an unusually heavy battle for survival and life.
10."Vietnam War Trauma" mainly tells the story of a group of veterans who burned, killed, looted, and robbed women on the battlefield in Vietnam, and the bad deeds of looting and robbing people's girls were gradually revealed, and even ravaged Vietnamese girls to death at one time. Eriksen, a new soldier on the battlefield in Vietnam, decided to risk his life to bring these crimes to the fore.
These ten classic Vietnam War movies not only show the cruelty of war and the brilliance of human nature, but also provoke us to think about peace and the fate of mankind. Hopefully, through these films, we will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of war on humanity and work to avoid similar tragedies from happening again.