Vietnam

Absolutely awesome seen a second time around - brought me to tears which takes a lot of doing - I wonder if we'll be looking at the same sort of movie about Iraq/Afganistan in 20 years time & wondering why the hell we were there. Fascinating to see Nicole Kidman in her first major film role. I do feel that the American soldiers were stereotyped as rapist, drug using murderous bastards - that was the only scene that didn't ring true. Listening to the 70's music was great. I was still at high school in England when the Vietnam War was happening - Seeing it from an Australian perspective is different. I now have a 21 year old Vietnamese girl as my daughter in law - her parents were both refugees after the war so it all seems a lot more personal.

It's been many years since I watched this mini-series. The first time I saw it, I thought it was a gem, but with flaws. The flaws are the usual ones you find in Australian films/TV, namely, poor scripts and acting.

Be that as it may, on my first viewing of this mini-series, I felt that Nicholas Eadie and Nicole Kidman put in great acting performances. In brief, the mini-series is about the consequences to a family when conscription to the Vietnam war is introduced in Australia. Nicholas Eadie's character is conscripted by the nationally televised 'lottery' and he has to go off to fight in Vietnam. Nicole Kidman plays the sister of Eadie's character in the mini-series.

The scene where Nicole Kidman's character is being interviewed on radio, and her brother calls in is very moving. This scene is her greatest performance in acting, I think. I've found her acting overly mannered in subsequent movies where she plays Americans, e.g. "To die for".

The second time I saw this mini-series (hey, I liked it enough to watch it the second time it was on t.v.) it was Nicole Kidman's performance which remained the standout element of the production.

Australia has produced some of the best mini-series on television. Along with "Through my eyes" (based on the Lindy Chamberlain story), Vietnam is right up there as one of the best produced in Australia. Other brilliant Australian mini-series include Joh's Jury (fact based account of the trial of infamous state premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson) and any number of ABC TV mini-series on police corruption in Australia.

I have seen a DVD of this in Australian chain stores inside the last year or two. So, may be still available now, new.

It's 2.30am and I've just finished watching this again. I was an Australian "grunt" with the 3rd Battalion in Vietnam 1971 and although most of the war was boredom, this is without doubt the most realistic portrayal of the Australian side of the war that you will see. Admittedly, it's the entire 10 year war condensed into one persons life, but if you try to imagine yourself in the shoes of a young 20 year old, you may get a glimpse of what it was like. The politics, clothes, civvy life, emotions, conscription, protests and the war were very accurate. This isn't your usual gung-ho macho shoot'em up Hollywood Rambo movie. It's about as close as you'll get to what it was like during the war. The most amusing part is the fact that Nicole Kidman wasn't even born when we were fighting the war! Yes - it is slow in parts, but this movie isn't about macho heroes. It's about simple 20 year olds like me who never wanted to hurt anyone, but were sent to a place where there were virtually no rules. We were dropped by chopper into a jungle and we could kill anyone who wasn't one of us - no questions asked. If you want to see the real thing, then this is the one to watch - NOT Rambo!!

Nicole does indeed play a brilliant part in this production. As she waits for her conscientious objector boyfriend to be released from prison, her expressions are priceless. The look of concern, relief then her happiness are very touching. Her strong red curly hair reinforcing the inner strength of her character. The music was also well matched with the haunting 'Woodstock' from Joni Mitchell finishing off what is a milestone in Australian Television and probably the first serious look at this wonderful actress and a bearing on what was to come. I remember telling anyone who would listen to keep an eye out for this outstanding young actress after seeing her performance.

I find it a true tragedy that because this is an Australian production that it didn't get a good promotion overseas, that so many unfortunate people will never get to see it.

The direction is absolutely fantastic. With musical and TV clips throughout the show to tell you what time era you were in. You are kept right up to date with the exact year and the atmosphere of that time. Much Australian political, society history surrounding the Vietnam war is told in a way that is pure poetry.

Nicole Kidman SHINES in this show. In fact, although she has been in much bigger INTERNATIONAL successes, this one is possibly her best performance.

The tragedies of the war. The conflicts between the soldiers and those at home. It's all here. I don't know if it will ever come out on DVD. But if it does --- DON'T MISS IT. I give this show a rare 10/10