Hamburger Hill (1987)

The movie Hamburger Hill is based on a real battle in 1969. It's one of the few Vietnam War movies to portray the soldiers in a realistic and accurate way. Most of the others fail to do justice for the brave men who fought there.Rather than stereotyping soldiers as either druggies or genocidal redneck maniacs (as we see in movies like Platoon), this one portrays the troops as what they were: just ordinary, average men trying to do a very difficult and demanding job. More than any other movie about Vietnam, this one shows the misery that the men were going through, not only in battle, but due to the unfairly negative image of the Vietnam troops the American media was creating at that time.

i must say... I didn't care for it.I thought the writing was weak and cliché, tried to hard to be a Vietnam film instead of allowing it to become one (if that makes sense) i thought the acting was poor and the special effects (even for 1987) were amateurish. not one character sold me. I don't miss too many war movies...and this one had a good reputation, but im not sure where it came from.to say it was the best Vietnam war movie ever, really takes away from some great films. maybe i went in expecting too much because of the reputation this film has, but i left disappointed

On 10 May 1969 Troops of the 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley. Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later, the Troops who fought there called it Hamburger Hill.It's got the score from Philip Glass. It follows the story of a large group of soldiers played by young new actors. Some will become famous including Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Dylan McDermott, Courtney B. Vance, Steven Weber. At the time, the lack of stars are meant to keep the film authentic. There are lots of touches to give authenticity to the movie. The movie seems like a series of Vietnam War vignettes of people talking bs and doing simple soldier things. The story doesn't really flow especially with the large cast. The focus is never on one character and it has a scatter shot effect. The action looks good considering this is pre-CGI. Once they're in the jungle, the intensity goes up and the action on the hill is the toughest of all. In the end, the movie achieves a sense of senselessness.

"Hamburger Hill" came out in late summer 1987 but, after the mega-success of "Platoon" from the previous Christmas, it was decidedly underwhelming. Not that it's bad, it just pales in comparison to other Nam films like "Platoon," and "Apocalypse Now" (1979).The story focuses on one platoon as they try again and again to take hill 937 (that is, 937 feet high) during a 10-day period in May, 1969. The hill was nicknamed Hamburger Hill because enemy fire was so fierce that American troops were shredded like hamburger meat.The film has an excellent cast highlighted by Dylan McDermott and Steven Weber (from Wings) as squad sergeants, Courtney B. Vance as the medic "Doc," and Tim Quill, Don Cheadle and Anthony Barrile as privates, the latter who strongly resembles Boner from "Growing Pains." "Hamburger Hill" successfully details the lives of grunts during the Vietnam War who, not only have to face their enemy in SE Asia, but growing resistance from their contemporaries at home. Although the film definitely comes off as a Grade-B "Platoon" and "Apocalypse Now," it features quite a few aspects that make it unique and notable, like an episode of friendly fire, soldiers getting "Dear John" letters, mudsliding down the hill during warfare, etc.It's also notable for its documentary-like style. "Hamburger Hill" makes no attempt to divert to the deeper subtexts of those two more successful Nam films; it's a picture solely about the Vietnam experience of infantryman taking a hill. The futility of the endeavor is a microcosm of the futility of the Vietnam War itself.Obviously, this documentary-like style is appealing to many, as witnessed by the numerous high ratings, particularly those who prefer ultra-realism. Unfortunately, it's sometimes diminished by contrived sequences (acting, dialogue, etc.). Regardless, such an approach won't be satisfactory for those who favor a more substantial story, stronger characters and a deeper subtext.Concerning the film's depiction of the typical grunt, just once I'd like to see a movie dare to show soldiers, Marines, etc. doing something other than boozing it up and visiting prostitutes on R & R. Even if most enlisted men did this in Vietnam, I'm sure there were many who coped with the stress of combat in more healthy, positive ways.The film was shot in the Philippines and runs 110 minutes. Excellent locations, by the way.GRADE: C+