Best Vietnam War Movies

The conflict that fought on and on from 1964(with the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in the U.S. Senate) to 1975(with the fall of Saigon)....or actually 1945 to 1975(if you count the heavily American-bankrolled attempt by the French to re-colonize "French Indochina" that lasted about 9 years).

While this war left bitter memories and emotions, the great thing the war produced for people around the world were some pretty f*cking good movies. I mean the sub-genre of Vietnam Movies range from masterpieces like Francis Ford Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW, classics like DEER HUNTER and PLATOON and FULL METAL JACKET, cheesy action films like the Chuck Norris film series MISSING IN ACTION, good action flicks like FIRST BLOOD, hokey as hell American patriotic propaganda like John Wayne's GREEN BERETS, and so on.

Now post your opinion as to what is the best Vietnam War movie is. My vote goes to APOCALYPSE NOW, though my personal favorite is one that many people feel is one of Stanley Kubrick's lesser films..........FULL METAL JACKET.

Now get posting before me and the rest of the platoon decide to frag ya!

The best Vietnam movie is Platoon. Plain and simple. It was a full blown war movie that was perfect and is my favorite war movie. It's # 2 on my all time list. I want to see The Siege of Firebase Gloria, but cannot find the DVD.

Other GREAT Vietnam movies:
Full Metal Jacket
The Deer Hunter
The Killing Fields

GOOD Vietnam movie:
Casualties of War

Ya CASUALTIES was another good Brian DePalma movie, and one of many that will be examined in my upcoming "Tribute" thread.

born on the 4th of july is a good one

I'd have to say Full Metal Jacket is probably my favorite. Platoon is right up there though. But I would have to take Kubrick over Stone on this one.

Doc

Full Metal Jacket. I need to see Platoon but I'd say Full Metal.

Even though it's not strictly a Vietnam movie, Forrest Gump comes to mind.

Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket are my favorites.

What about Good Morning, Vietnam?

Apocolypse Now, We Were Soldiers, Green Berets.

Platoon, Forrest Gump.

Full Metal Jacket for its cold-hearted standpoint, technical wizardry (as always with Kubrick) and soundtrack. The Hue City sequence always stays in my mind. Platoon comes close behind, though.

I've always argued that Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter aren't even Vietnam movies.

Mick

I really like We Were Soldiers and Green Berets also.

Platoon was crap, one of the few movies that others seem to enjoy that I can't stand along with films like Casino and Fargo. I won't comment too much on the story, just as to say that that last soap opera voice-over at the end is laughable and if you really want the story about Oliver Stone's platoon, you can read Platoon: Bravo Company by Stone's commading officer. As for the actual filmaking, the effects and sound are absolutely pathetic and I don't care what their budget was. Born on the Fourth of July was pretty wasteful too. Oliver Stone is great at corruption topics. Wall Street is one of my absolute favorite films, Nixon was quite a piece of work, and the first half of JFK was excellent. His Vietnam movies (with the acception of Heaven and Earth which has its own issues) have little to no class.

I have yet to see Full Metal Jacket, but the one's that are great are Apocalypse Now, which I do consider a Vietnam movie and possibly the best portrayel of that war that has been made, The Deer Hunter, which is absolutely heartbreaking, Hamburger Hill, a very underrated true story about soldiers confronted with the worst of conditions, and We Were Soldiers, which while Apocalypse Now might take the best portrayel of the Vietnam War, this one is surely a notch for best film.

Gotta be full metal Jacket. Platoon is awesome too. Some honorable mentions are Apocolypse Now, Born on the fourth of july, and Hamburger Hill

Aside from the others already mentioned, check out Dead Presidents . It's not strictly a Vietnam movie but it is set in and around that era.

The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter
Apoxlypse Now (One of these days i'm going to learn how to spell it)
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket

Ive been planning to see:
The Visitors
Coming Home
Both are supposed to be good Vietnam pictures

I like We Were Soldiers because it's an acurate portrayal of the war, whereas many films portray the popular-media mythology about Americans being barbarians over there.

Take NGE's word like I did. Definetly a great movie. -Pat

Oh shit! I remember that movie! Later in the movie, don't thet paint their faces black and white for the robbery?

Yep, you can also add this film to the great soundtrack list.

We Were Soldiers
Hamburger Hill

Both for exactly the reason stated by Don Sauno -- these are exceptional movies about real people and real events. We Were Soldiers covers only the beginning of the fighting in the Ia Drang valley. As explained at the end of the movie, Hal Moore returned to fight alongside his men in Ia Drang for another nine months.

If you have a copy of the book, I found an interesting story about the soldier pictured on the cover of the book. His name is Rick Rescorla and here\'s a link to a great piece that appeared in the New Yorker . His involvement in the events of 9/11 is especially compelling.

True stories and experiences like those at Ia Drang were always interesting. Hollywood only wants to make them entertaining.

tony b.

Full Metal Jacket is the best Vietnam Film

I forgot about We Were Soldiers. The book is good too. I suggest y'all check out the Killing Fields. Capo recommended it to me and it was GREAT. It's almost made like a documentary. -Pat

I am not really much of a war movie fan. However, I married my ex within a year after he returned home from Viet Nam, as he was stationed there for about a year. Needless to say, he and then I took a particular interest in movies about Viet Nam, especially with the memory so fresh in his mind. Man, he sure had a few interesting stories.

Although I can't say we've discussed Nam lately, I do remember him favoring and/or relating to Apocolypse Now, which I'd have to say is probably my favorite, although I've not seen some of the more recent ones.

No one has mentioned "Coming Home", which although years since I've seen it, sure captured the atmosphere of that era and the turmoil and affect this war had on those who served and their loved ones.

TIS

Ehehem(clearing throat)
:p So TIS, you are saying its a good picture?

LOL.

Man, I tried to watch GREEN BERETS the other day on cable and damn.......*laughs*.......well, I have nothing to say.

The toy helicopter, its NOSE on fire, spinning out of control in one scene, then falling to earth, spinning the other direction and spilling its occupants un-hurt. The movie is one big continuity error.

tony b.