Beginning on November 14, 1965, Lt. Col. Moore led the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in the week-long Battle of Ia Drang. Encircled by enemy soldiers with no clear landing zone that would allow them to leave, Moore managed to persevere despite being significantly outnumbered by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces that went on to defeat the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry only two-and-a-half miles away the next day. film shows the battle of Ia Drang without any pomp or grandure. It's shown in a way that conveys the savagery, fear, courage & heroism in the face of impending defeat. Sometimes it's sound tactical decision making & sheer force of will that decides the outcome of a battle, not numbers. A well researched & documented film showing the early days of the American War in Vietnam. Excellent film & highly recommend. Read full review
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Probably one of the most accurate war movies ever made. Lt. Col. Hall Moore led the new 7th calvary(helicopters were the new horses) into a 3 day and night battle against some of NVA regular solders many of which had been fighting for decades. General Hal Moore was the active consultant on the film and insisted that it be as close to what he and his men dealt with. The movie shows us one of the few times a call for "Broken Arrow". This meant that the NVA was so close to the US troops that they needed the closest(to them) air support possible. Broken Arrow was a call for every available airplane and helicopter to bomb everything immediately in front of the US troops. Very dangerous but exceedingly effective. This call helped Moore and his troops to gain the upper hand against overwhelming odds and eventually win the battle. Then, as usual in Vietnam the Americans left the fire zone.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Very well acted production of one of the earliest actions involving U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam war. This action, lead by Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), and chronicled by a civilian reporter who accompanied them, Joseph Galloway (Barry Pepper), both in writing and in pictures. In this action, 400 American soldiers were ambushed by more than 2000 battle-hardened, highly experienced North Vietnamese soldiers. Their commander, Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu An, is also depicted as a most capable and smart commander. The battle sequences are very accurately presented as is the strategies and perspectives of both armies. This film also devoted a lot of time towards the human impact, not just on the soldiers on both sides, but their families and loved ones too. This was a gritty, but honestly presented story.Read full review
The story of the developement of the Air-mobile concept of the US Army strategy during the Vietnam War begins this movie with Mel Gibson (The Patriot, Braveheart, Signs, Payback, etc) playing the commander of a battlion of the Air Mobile Brigade during the early part of the war. It also re-enacts the first major battle of the Vietnam War between the North Vietnamese and US forces when 450 men of Gibsons battalion square off for a one month campaign against 2,000 of the North Vietnamese and setting the stage for the long war. Good combat action combined with plenty of napalm and bullets will certainly make this a good movie for war movie devotees. Madeleine Stowe (The General's Daughter, China Moon, 12 Monkeys, Last of the Mohicans, etc) plays Gibsons wife in the movie and gives insight into how wives and families handled the war and actions that occurred on bases around the country during the era of combat. Good - but not great movie- should give a good nights entertainment to some drama lovers, but mostly to action and adventure and war movie lovers.Read full review
Based on the book of a similar title (We Were Soldiers Once and Men), this war film portrays the up-close, gory "face" of battle in the Vietnam Central Highlands. It vividly shows the courage and controlled terror and rage of infantrymen in close combat. Heart-rending portrayal of the dread and grief of family members whose loved ones were missing or killed in action. Excellent performances by Sam Elliott and Barry Pepper. Pepper's portrayal of Galloway shows how survival instincts can overpower one's conscience in the heat of battle. Mel Gibson gives a believable performance of Lieutenant Colonel Moore's unflappable courage under dire circumstances and his love for his soldiers and their well-being. One of the most accurate Hollywood portrayals of the horrorific reality of combat and the human story that underlies every victory and casualty. Not to be missed.Read full review
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