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by Jennifer Alpeche Published: August 30, 2002
Joe Galloway: Sir, I don’t know how to tell this story. Hal Moore: Well, you’ve got to, Joe. Written and directed by Randall Wallace (scribe of “Braveheart” and “Pearl Harbor”), “We Were Soldiers” tells the true story of the first battle fought by American soldiers in Vietnam. It is a graphic and powerful film, one that takes us into the heart of war and reveals the horror of it. Based on the novel, “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young” by Lt. General Harold Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway, “We Were Soldiers” honors those who died and those who fought for each other -- a “moving monument on celluloid.” November 1965. Hal Moore leads 400 soldiers into the Ia Drang Valley. By helicopter, they are set down on Landing Zone X-Ray. The first half of the film focuses on the main characters. We get to know them a little and later follow their stories during the battle. We also meet some new characters during the fight and although only briefly introduced, it’s terrible to see their fate. The first hour of the movie is used to establish the importance of family. Once the soldiers “ride into battle,” the battle scenes are intense and engrossing, but we never forget about the families back home. Wallace intercuts battle sequences with scenes of the wives and we see that they are fighting a war as well: a war of emotion, fear and worry, and of thinking the worse. In the coverage of the battle, we see bullets and explosions, fire and dust. Faces are illuminated in the darkness by the awesome light of firepower. And in the quiet, there is fear. At one piont, Lt. Colonel Moore says -- “Nothing’s wrong except nothing’s wrong.” Violence is not softened. Although difficult to watch, the film tries to be honest. Randall Wallace was determined to keep the story as authentic as possible, which meant blood and unbelievable moments, such as the aftermath of an off-target napalm bomb. Along with the realistic portrayal of war and the screentime given to the wives and families, “We Were Soldiers” also points to the strategy employed by the American and Vietnamese troops. The film reminds us that the North Vietnamese Army was made up of real soldiers as well: soldiers who proudly carried their flag and who had loved ones waiting for them at home, worrying about them too. All of the performances in the film are right on, particularly Mel Gibson (Hal Moore), Greg Kinnear (Bruce Crandall) and Sam Elliott (Sgt. Major Plumley). In his commentary, Wallace cannot say enough of how impressed and thankful he was for his cast. Each one of them knew the responsibility they had and took their tasks to heart. The commentary track is full length and is provided entirely by Randall Wallace. He follows the film rather closely, offering us the story behind certain scenes, actors, and characters. He is grateful to his cast and crew. On the set, there were first-hand resources, including Hal Moore, Bruce Crandall, and Joe Galloway. Wallace talks about how the actors worked with one another and how generous they were. He remembers how everyone wanted to watch the dailies each day and how sometimes, there would be 40 people gathered around to see what was shot. Every time a new scene begins, it seems to trigger a memory for Wallace. He talks about the little things that might be othewise overlooked, such as the subtleties of Dean Semler’s cinematography and the integration of CGI planes with real, precision ground explosions. Although Wallace deals with the technical aspects of the film, he always manages to comment on the people and what certain things meant to him, such as a stained-glass window, a favorite speech, or Mel Gibson’s great performance. He describes the battle sequences as a “ballet of courage and horror.” Care and study went into the making of this film. In “Getting It Right”, we get a behind-the-scenes look at “We Were Soldiers” and once again, authenticity is key. From the making of weaponry to the costumes and valley -- everything had to be right. The featurette takes us through the entire filmmaking process, from the casting of actors to the editing of 150 hours of film. We see storyboards meld into real shots, locations chosen and prepared, and the actors interacting with their real-life counterparts. Although only 25 minutes long, “Getting It Right” introduces us to much of the cast and crew, including Mel Gibson, Greg Kinnear, Hal Moore, Bruce Crandall, Joe Galloway, Julie Moore, production designer Tom Sanders, director of photography Dean Semler, special effects coordinator Paul Lombardi, military technical advisor Jason Powell, costume designer Michael T. Boyd, composer Nick Glennie-Smith, and make-up supervisor Michael Mills. Although “We Were Soldiers” does not include many extras, it does offer 10 deleted scenes. The scenes can be watched with or without commentary by Wallace and for myself, I found it helpful to watch the scenes with the commentary and then without it. Included is an extended scene that introduced Sgt. Major Plumley titled “The Lake" -- an anecdote that helps establish Plumley’s gruff, no-nonsense personality. Another scene involves Julie Moore (Madeleine Stowe) and Barbara Geoghegan (Keri Russell). This is the scene where Julie says that the most common thing a soldier says when he’s dying on the battlefield is: “Tell my wife I love her" -- which was seen in the trailer and commercials but never on screen. Other scenes include “Burning the Codes,” “Snake and Too Tall,” and “Courage Is a Beautiful Thing.” Wallace explains that although he loved these scenes, time contraints prevented them from being included. That said, I’m glad we get to see them now. They’re very good. “We Were Soldiers” is a film about war, family and a battle in Vietnam that would be the precursor to the United States’ lengthy involvement. The film gives a different look to Vietnam and provides us with a new story. It ends with Hal Moore visiting his fallen soldiers at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It fades to black with the names of the soldiers who died memorialized in black and white. Overall Rating: B for the film, B for the DVD. |
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