Témoins de l'enfer

This "mockumentary" was a forerunner to films like The Blair Witch project, and the tension and fear that the soldiers feel, trapped behind enemy lines with a broken radio and a dead comrades body, is a lot more believable than that felt by those three annoying kids running away from things that go "bump" in the night. You really do get a feel for what it must have been like. When the group are ambushed, you hear the gunshots, and the screams, but you just can't see where the enemy are. It must of been hell, getting shot at but not knowing where it was coming from.

The cast of relative unknowns really impresses, especially Nicholas Cascone as "Easy" ("soon to be promoted to PFC: Private F***ing Civilian") and Richard Brooks as "OD", the group's black leader.

The spirit of camraderie and brotherhood echoes strongly throughout this film, exemplified by scenes such as the one where Sgt. "Cracker", a self confessed redneck, is interviewed by the "Lessons Learnt" crew and is asked: "Coming from South Carolina, how do you feel about being led by a black man?". After a strained silence he answers: "Those are real-world questions. They don't have any place here in the Nam. Why don't you ask if OD is the best damn GI I have ever humped a ruck with, or if I would risk my life for him, and I have, or if he would risk his life for me, and he has. Those are the kind of questions you should be asking."

The action is interspersed with long periods of waiting, boredom, and contemplation. The futility of their mission, and indeed the entire war, is brought to the fore. They feel distanced from their loved ones, and long for some time "in the rear with the gear", away from the front lines, which are plagued by a shadow-like enemy and viciously effective booby-traps, not to mention the seemingly endless nights, when trees move just like Charlie.

This movie is recommended not only to War flick fans, but to anybody interested in seeing how a pseudo-documentary should really be made.

7 out of 10

This low-budget movie packs a maximum impact. The cast of no-names eliminates the predisposition to the glorification of war associated with many big name "war" actors. I have rarely seen a film about small-unit dynamics as well done. Every part is well-acted. Of interest are the relationships between the draftees, the enlisted lifer, and the opportunistic Lieutenant. The tension, confusion, and boredom of combat operations is captured in excruciating yet tender detail. The film conveys a good sense of the terrible waste of the Vietnam war. This movie is down, dirty, and real. If you are a war film buff, this one is a must see!

Despite the obvious low budget, this film is definitely worth watching. The unknown actors are superb with the materials and situations they are given and make the reality of the Vietnam War come through in a very real fashion. In terms of scale, this is no "Saving Private Ryan", but it does have the same dramatic impact on the viewer. Highly Recommended!

This is a unique film. It not only is filmed from a first person POV, but it didn't glamourize war as even humanist films do. There is not too much action yet the film is still fascinating. Instead, the film features what soldiers do in between all the glamourized gunfights. The soldiers camp out, quietly hike, interact and create tension amongst each other and also grow closer, scout out Vietcong positions, and talk about home. This is the most realistic depiction of Vietnam missions in film. The action is mostly incoherent, making it more realistic. There isn't any plagarized, motivating score (Pearl Harbor) set to dozens of soldiers running in slow motion. There are a few gunshots out of the jungle and a man goes down. THe film is emotional and powerful, a great war film.

8/10 or ***1/2 stars out of ****

The acting is first rate, with Richard Brooks delivering the the goods as OD, the defacto leader of this group of recon soldiers.

The first person perspective throughout the movie adds to the impact and lends a realism that conventional cinematography wouldn't have been able to pull off.

The violence (it IS a war movie) is very realistic and disconcerting, which further involves the viewer in the movie. Moreso, this movie investigates the personal dynamics of the group of soldiers, set into the horror of the situation.

In retrospect, the story and characters are really nothing you've not already seen. The stereotypical archetypes are represented, the redneck, the scared short-timer, etc, but while you watch this movie, the combination of a documentary style filming and first person perspective, combine to make this film feel new and refreshing. Granted "Blair Witch" had a similar feel, but this pre-dated that film by 10 years and pre-dated "The Last Broadcast" (from which the "Blair Witch" was nicked) by 9 years.

If you can find a copy of this film. Settle in, crank it up and immerse yourself in it. It isn't the same as "the real thing": it isn't even close, nothing is. But it does let you glimpse into the world, without the fake slo-mo sequences, mood enhancing soundtrack, and trappings that separate you from "real life", and you can actually almost believe this IS a documentary.