A Guerra Cruel

If you want to see the Vietnam War as it was experienced by a real Platoon Leader, this is it. Authentic, down to the mannerisms, slang, terror and disillusion of it all, this film has none of the wierd phantasms of Apocalypse Now or the left wing political hype of Oliver Stone's Platoon.

Richard C. Caporiccio, LTC, US Army, Retired, former Platoon Leader, 3rd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), LZ Uplift, Republic of Vietnam from Jan 2 to December 24, 1969.

Originally entitled "Nam," this film was released as "Platoon Leader" to cash in on the success of "Platoon," which had been released the previous year. Unfortunately, this sank it, and most everyone dismissed this is an imitation of the latter film. However, I feel that this might be one of the finest films about the Vietnam War around, and that's due to the fact that it knows the genre of war films and it knows what to take seriously and what to regard as pure action.

In war films, particularly ones about the Vietnam War, there has always been a question about which angle to approach: a human, emotional story or a pure action-adventure. This film handles the question well, and it shows us both. The film covers a new U.S. captain joining a platoon that is set up on a hill with orders to protect a small village. The story of how he must earn the right to be called the captain of such a motely group, and how the men themselves must struggle about just what they are fighting for in this war, is extremely moving. The writers choose to represent many different attitudes, all of which were present in the war: fear, reluctance, discontent, indifference, and honor. Each character is painted vividly and with wonderful acting, and through their tragedy and suffering, the viewer gets a better understanding of what went on during America's darkest hour.

On the other hand, this film also contains some nicely-directed action sequences that know how to get the heart-beat going. They don't neccessarily glorify war, but they are very Rambo-esque, and made in an effort to satisfy action fans. It is the essence of these action scenes, combined with the human characters who have to pick up the pieces of each battle and move on with their daily, emotional struggles, that really makes this film tick.

This film was directed by Chuck's brother Aaron Norris, who lost a brother to the Vietnam War. Indeed, this must have been a difficult film to shoot because of that, but he certainly paid his brother a fitting tribute in this underrated war epic.

**** out of ****

"Platoon Leader"...what a generic and terrible name for a fairly emotional and deep war film. I'm sure the film's title, in addition to starring Michael Dudikoff and being released by Cannon, turned a lot of people off from checking this movie out. But Aaron Norris does a superb job of balancing B-movie action with harrowing and emotional drama. Dudikoff is passable (as usual) as the lead platoon leader...but Paul F. Lyons really lends the film it's credibility and gravitas. Lyons' performance is great and one of the many highlights of the film. The budget was surprisingly solid for a B-movie and the supporting cast was great. War movies tend to have a repetitive nature about them...but "Platoon Leader" features some impressive and original moments. Like when one of the soldiers overdoses on drugs or how the Vietcong kill Vietnamese they believe to be aiding soldiers with a death letter stuck to the victims bodies. It has it's B-movie moments but it also has some heart and great human moments. I was surprised to be as invested in the soldiers as I was and "Platoon Leader" was a solid war film that deserves a better known reputation.

Platoon leader is often at it's most effective when when it reminds us that these men are human beings and not machines and that they will show emotion at times of stress. It's tense, atmospheric, and exciting at just the right times, with plenty of gunfire and explosions to keep the viewer entertained. Michael Dudikoff gives an excellent performance in this well above war movie from Cannon Pictures. Shame about the village though. bcarruthers-76500

After making his directorial debut with his brother Chuck Norris with "Braddock: Missing in Action III" (1988), his follow-up would be another Vietnam War feature with Cannon productions starring Michael Dudikoff. The man with the poker face. All jokes aside. Norris' presentation might feel like a poor man's version of Stone's "Platoon", but it turned out to be a very solid nitty gritty portrayal of a war that was hard for the soldiers to come to grips with (nothing but pure propaganda). The performances are acceptably creditable (Robert F Lyons, Michael DeLorenzo, Brian Libby and William Smith chew it up in a major role) and a convincing Dudikoff actually brought across some emotional weight to the part. The script really does illustrate the dramas along with the horror in some arresting scenes ("What do you say to a girl with her arm shot off?") --- especially the transformation of Dudikoff's character throughout his duty, where at the beginning he was naïve to how things work but after an incident that sees him hospitalized he returns an improved soldier, better equipped for the experience and from this starts to gain respect. Comradely is formed. Norris' direction moves at a fast clip, if quite clichéd (cue in the patriotic sounding score) but the impulsive action is competently staged and fairly exciting in its tension fuelled fire-fights with glorious slow-motion and graphic violence. Pockets here, pockets there which leads up to the big explosive assault ala "Platoon" style. Filmed in South Africa, Norris gets a real earthy and humid authenticity which has you also caught in the thick of it. Despite the low-budget it's reasonably well-presented.