BA_Harrison In the mid-to-late '80s, America finally came to terms with the Vietnam War, exorcising their demons via popular culture. On TV, we had Vietnam veterans The A-Team coming to the rescue of the needy. On the radio, Paul Hardcastle told us that the average age was 'n-n-n-n-nineteen', while Stan Ridgeway recounted the story of an awfully big marine. In the cinemas, Chuck Norris was Missing In Action, Rambo asked 'Do we get to win this time?', Tom Cruise was Born on the Fourth of July, Robin Williams was screeching 'Good Morning', Michael J. Fox suffered the Casualties of War, and Kubrick's jacket was of the full metal variety. Oliver Stone's Vietnam film Platoon even cleaned up at the Oscars, winning four awards, including Best Picture.It's understandable that Hamburger Hill, with its cast of relative unknowns and second-tier director, didn't receive quite as much attention as the aforementioned heavy-hitters, but if you're serious about war movies, don't let the lack of any big names put you off: the film is just as worthy of praise as Platoon, if not more-so, the green cast only adding to the film's already palpable authenticity. Shot in the thick jungles and even thicker mud of the Phillipines, the film tells of one of the most costly battles of the Vietnam War, the fight for Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley, known to grunts as Hamburger Hill. Director John Irvin's aim is to capture the horrors of war in all their bloody detail, and the sense of realism he achieves is remarkable: when his characters die, they don't throw their arms up in slow motion to the strains of Adagio for Strings… they do so in a sudden welter of gore, hammering home the notion that war is hell.By the end of Hamburger Hill, the viewer is left as emotionally drained as its surviving characters are physically exhausted.

SnoopyStyle 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.

stosh87 As the extra material points out, this was the 1st movie for many of the cast. Only Don Cheadle and Dylan McDermott have moved on, as I can tell. the rest have stayed rested.Courtney Vance played a racial character with over-the-top racism.While the movie is based on a true event, it was acted poorly and was a poor script. In retrospect you have to wonder why the commanders of this siege just didn't pull off all the troops and just napalm the whole hill for about 3 days.. I've seen most war movies and this has to rank around the very bottom in execution. "Inglorious basterds" was a better movie to watch.

hung_fao_tweeze Those who have baked this movie seem to have done so because they found the characters unlikeable and undiscernible. That is because the movie expects you to realize that these people ARE you and me. They are not glorified Hollywood hero stereotypes. They are real people thrust into the madhouse that was Vietnam. It was a different time and what is seen on the screen is an accurate depiction of how people acted with each other then. It is also based on an actual event. That means it really happened!! All they had to do was take a hill back from the Cong. This is some fantastic glory of a mission. So, if you are looking for Arnold Schwartzenegger and mind-numbing special effects, it isn't here. It's real! Vietnam was insane. This movie conveys that accurately. Once you understand the reality and if you have actually lived during that time, it makes a kind of perverse sense.