"Hamburger Hill" (John Irwin, '87)

[Sabrejet]

This film dates from that period in the post-Vietnam War era when Hollywood turned its attention to that war and gave us such movies as Apocalypse Now..The Deer Hunter..Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. The movie is a grittily realistic re-creation of the May '69 battle for Ap Bia Hill in Vietnam's A Shau valley...nicknamed "Hamburger Hill" by the grunts who fought there as it was a bit of a meat-grinder to say the least!

 

The film, in a way, is an homage to Lewis Milestone's classic Korean War movie, Pork Chop Hill. The underlying theme is the same..that is, take the hill at all costs to show we have the will and means to do so...and then relinquish it.

 

The combat scenes are very well re-created and the then largely unknown cast are very good in their roles. Attention to period detail is excellent because back in the 80s there was still plenty of original Vietnam-era equipment available to movie-makers.

 

In its quest for gritty realism the dialogue is liberally sprinkled with G.I. jargon and profanities which might offend some people. But all in all, a harrowing tale well told..in my humble opinion.

 

Sabrejet.

[kjones5452]

To me they can have all the other nam movies.

For realism and the way the characters interact

with one another give me Hamburger Hill every

time.

[Divinemind]

I agree...this was a great film and an accurate portrayal.

[Bluehawk]

This is one of the VN films that tore me up - when I remembered who was saying what on the floor of the U.S. Senate before the outcome had been decided.

 

It changed my life, permanently.

[nix284]

Always liked this one.

[erctut1]

One of my favorites.

[Jeeper704]

Got a friend who treated the wounded from the real "Hamburger Hill".

He was with 1st Cav since 1965.

 

A reason for me to watch that movie every time it was shown.

First time I saw it was with my father (at the movie theater).

 

Erwin

[FNG]

One of the few Nam movies to show Army grunts wearing the correct tube frame lightweight rucksack. :thumbsup:

Although most would've carried them high on the frame not low like in the movie.

Oh well, still better than ARVN rucksacks.

[kammo-man]

Also Forest Gump had the gear right .

 

 

owen

[67Rally]

I was talking VN films with a friend of mine (101st A/B) who survived Hamburger Hill while most of his platoon did not (either wounded or KIA). He said he won't watch VN films as Hollywood tends to add a political slant to them (hard to believe, I know). He did watch this film and called it "100% unadulterated BS." Without going into any measure of detail, I presume there to be a substantial amount of PTSD involved in his recollections and any scenes of portrayed combat are a trigger for him.

[FNG]

I was talking VN films with a friend of mine (101st A/B) who survived Hamburger Hill while most of his platoon did not (either wounded or KIA). He said he won't watch VN films as Hollywood tends to add a political slant to them (hard to believe, I know). He did watch this film and called it "100% unadulterated BS." Without going into any measure of detail, I presume there to be a substantial amount of PTSD involved in his recollections and any scenes of portrayed combat are a trigger for him.

 

That's interesting. I wonder what specifically was the BS to him. My pop also a Nam vet(not in the 101st but army) says one thing they got correct were the pyrotechnics. Specifically the "crumping" sound of incoming artillery. He also says Hollywood's VN movies are mostly BS too though. It's definitely a movie made more for the camera and a general audience than an accurate depiction of combat for Hill 937. I really don't think the combat scenes triggered PTSD in your friend. He probably just thinks the battle looks like BS. My pop laughed at parts of the movie too. He'd say, "They have no cover they should all be killed." Simple as that.

I'm sure a better director probably could have made a more realistic depiction of the battle, but at least it was pro-veterans.

[David F]

It has been quite a few years since last watching the movie. Yes, some of the combat is like a reenactor battle but just as with current Army trainings where no one dies (blanks and sims), people will never move as under real fire. The movie did have the most authentic sound effects I have heard before, or since. The artillery and especialy the hand grenades is as how the real ones sound to my ears.

 

Dave

[45ACP]

What I liked about the movie is all the troops were not mad killers just normal guys doing a job best they could. That and peter Weller talking about the coming home to what some people were doing to the troops back here.

[kjones5452]

".....all I ask of anybody is that they get their rump in the grass with the rest of us. You don't have to like it but you gotta show up".

[deros]

I could stand to have had the 101st patches in colour as they were but I did like the fact that much of the gear was correct.

some aspects of it were over emphasised. It is very watchable though.

[Garandomatic]

I'll give this one a second chance. I started watching it, but the beginning of the movie seemed to portray Vietnam as a big old party, I got busy and never picked it back up.

[Old Sarge]

Me and my buddys went to see it on our 8 hour pass after we graduated from basic at Ft Jackson. Needless to say it made quite an impression on us. I especially liked the speech the SGT gave the new guys, at the end of it he said "People you have two problems, me......and him." and he pointed to the NVA sapper.

[willysmb44]

I remember seeing this in a movie theater in Brussels, of all places when it came out (I was blown away by being able to buy beer in the theaters there). It was actually a much better movie to me when I saw it next time, several years later once I got some maturity and experience under my belt. I bought the DVD but haven’t watched it in quite a while. If memory serves, they had REAL Phantoms doing the air strike scenes as well, something lacking from most VM movies.

[LostDutchman]

This has to be my favorite Vietnam era movie.

[labelkills254]

I will agree with everyone here, I have had it on DVD for years now. I remember watching it as a kid and forgetting the name but upon seeing it again I knew it was the movie I had forgotten. One of my favorite movies depicting Vietnam for sure.

[snake36bravo]

One of my all time favorite Vietnam movies.

 

Wardrobe, pryo, props did get things technically right but as with any war movie there will always be some things that they miss. I thought the effort was better than most all the way down to the correct way of speaking. The sounds of incoming were right on as were the firing sequences. 3 to 6 round bursts on the M60. Where Oliver Stone hinted at the divisions between races and groups within the Army in Platoon I think Hamburger Hill did a great job of capturing the melting pot better without all the village burning, raping indiscriminate/fragging killing controversy. "Hamburger Hill" simply captured what happens to grunts realistically. From Dear John letters to trying to get along with one another to facing death together to counting the days.

 

When I was younger all the various political conversations bothered me simply because I didnt get it but now I realize they got this aspect right. They did talk about not going home in your uniform. Mark Baker's book 'NAM' even mentions this. They did talk about the hair heads. I remember watching a late war documentary where two Arty men are coming off the line and they question out loud how are they going to be able to tell people back home what they've seen. The "How you gonna act man?" scene nailed how zapped out a grunt can get. Boonie rat language. So true.

 

If you are able,

save for them a place

inside of you

and save one backward glance

when you are leaving

for the places they can

no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say

you loved them,

though you may

or may not have always.

Take what they have left

and what they have taught you

with their dying

and keep it with your own.

And in that time

when men decide and feel safe

to call the war insane,

take one moment to embrace

those gentle heroes

you left behind.

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell

1 January 1970

Dak To, Vietnam

[snake36bravo]

Worcester: We had a short-timer once. Johnny I-forget-his-name. He wore a flak jacket, two helmets and armor underwear. A-shau Valley... your time's up, your time *is* up.

[kjones5452]

Only war movie I've ever seen that really had an impact on me.

When Worchester talks about why he comes back, to Sgt. Franz

talking about ....don't wanna pull on the little people? Fine,don't

use your weapon. All I ask of anybody is get their a** in the grass

with the rest of us.

I could watch those two pieces and never get tired of it.

[snake36bravo]

Courtney Vance in his career launching role. Doc reminds me so much of my first squad leader, Sgt. Farrow.

 

'Now brush your teeth in a rapid vertical motion,...Troop!"

 

They even got the Birth Control glasses right. I finally found a pair of these today so timely.

[snake36bravo]

Sgt. Frantz.

 

"Some of you think you have problems because you're against the war. You demonstrated in school... you wear peace symbols on your steel, and you have attitudes. I'm orphan, my brother's queer, the city of Chicago got the clap from my sister, Mom drinks, Dad coughs blood, I have ringworm, immersion foot, the incurable crud and the draft ruined my chances of being a brain surgeon. People, you are in Vietnam. You have no problems. Except me.

[points to Han who is holding an RPG and grinning]. And him.