Review of Heaven & Earth (1993) by Gareth M — 02 Jun 2010

This is well intentioned film that completes Oliver Stone 'Nam trilogy. Where Platoon looks at the american GI Joe, and 4th of July looks at the american dream and its evidental failure, Heaven & Earth sees things from the native civilians side of things.

Basically its gets lost in its Anti War message, in a message that seems overly contrieved, and overly bias without ever stopping to make you stop, think and take hold of either the lead character or the war itself.

The film starts with the "locals" having a nice peaceful if fugal life, until the french come in and kill everyone, then of course the americans come in and kill everyone left standing. The film specifically follows this young girl, who goes from one crisis to the next, whether it be her getting beating up to shit, strapped to the electric mains, raped or eaten by ants. Not 5 mins passes before something totally bleak or despairing happens to her; summing up in a lacking of being able to take the film or her character seriously. Its based on true accounts, but the film is so forced, so rammed down your throat, you can't take the film seriously or rationise it for what it is.....and that the excuse that its the war doing all this doesn't really hold firm.

Towards the end of the film, she is rescued? relieved? whatever by the perfect american soldier (Tommy Lee Jones), who seems too good to be true, and together they return to america. Now he is the best thing in this film for me, but again he too has become a victim of war, and its concludes towards more bleakness and despair as a dystfunctional couple; add too the racism she recieves from the americans before it ends.

Despite its lack of compassion or ability to control pace or tone, its still a decent film, its still portrays a basic level of what the war would of been like, and does enough to find it interesting........just of course it should be so so so much better!!!