Review of Hamburger Hill (1987) by Paul N — 08 Apr 2011

By and large this film avoids the overly archetypal tendencies of bigger-name Vietnam films from roughly the same time period ("Platoon", in particular). It is strong in depicting the brutality and futility of battle in all it's confusion and frustration. And it is strong in depicting American troops as more ordinary.

It is extremely weak in character development, and you never really develop an affinity for any of the characters (with the notable exception of Doc). At times it seems like the film is working too hard to include a variety of issues such as racism or the anti-war sentiment at home. It does a good job of portraying how, as divisive as these issues can be - and as damaging - to the troops on the ground, the men seem to understand this, choosing to focus on keeping one another alive, rather than nursing grudges or vendettas.

The film takes a long time to get going, but once we finally reach the titular battle there is a better flow, interrupted by occasional monologues as the troops catch breathers between assaults on the hill. The special effects are believable. Explosions are not exaggerated and there are no lingering slow-motion explosions or flying bodies. The violence is swift and real.

War is a terrible thing. This movie does a good job of portraying American troops in a positive light as men doing their job to the best of their ability. The movie pointedly avoids commentary on the war as a whole. There is enough material visually to provide both hawks and doves with ammunition - so to speak - for claiming the movie overall as siding with their perspective.