This film begins with four North Vietnamese college students preparing to join the war effort and liberate those in South Vietnam from what they consider to be the "American invaders." For his part, one of these young soldiers named "Long" (Nguyen Thanh Son) has just learned that his parents are going to get divorced and becomes quite emotional about it. His spirits are lifted, however, when he meets a beautiful young woman who promises to wait for him when his tour of duty is finished. Similarly, the other three young soldiers are heartbroken to some degree because they must also leave their families. Be that as it may, after some hurried goodbyes, they quickly board a truck that transports them south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, where they encounter the enemy and come face to face with death and destruction all around them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that what I found remarkable about this film is that, instead of glorifying the war, it showcases it in human terms, with one young soldier named "Long" (Nguyen Thanh Son) and another named "Hoang" (Nang Tung Nguyen) being particularly highlighted. Admittedly, other pictures have also captured this sentiment, with the 1930 film "All Quiet on the Western Front" being one of the better ones in that regard. But even so, this film still impressed me to a certain degree, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
