The Last Full Measure

Whilst it takes an annoyingly generic and familiar approach to it's incredible true story, The Last Full Measure is still a really good fact based drama that's emotional and engaging. Sebastian Stan gives a great lead performance and Christopher Plummer, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris and William Hurt all give amazing supporting performances. Todd Robinson's direction is really good and the war scenes are effectively intense and harrowing. The music by Philip Klein is good.

As a US Air Force Veteran who served in classified Intel overseas, I did not serve in-country Vietnam. I was at the cusp of the War, referred to as a Vietnam War Era Veteran. I have had friends and colleagues who did serve. We never discussed it. I respect that. If THEY wanted to talk about it, that was different. But, the rule of thumb among most Military Veterans was not (is not) to ask.

Until this movie, I was unaware of the Pitsenberger story. It is common for such movies to stir my emotions, deeply. This one surely did. The ugliness and senselessness of war, especially this war, were telegraphed across the screen with intensity. Yet, the spirit and compassion of Pitsenberger reveals a young man who was full of heart; and, love for others.

Again, as an Air Force Veteran, I feel honored to have learned about Airman Pitsenberger, superbly represented by Jeremy Irvine. The movie ended exactly as I had hoped it would. The cast of characters includes some of the best actors in the theater profession. Kudos!

Sebastian Stan is a lawyer for the Pentagon. He's smart, driven, ambitious, politically savvy and looking for his next job. His last assignment at his current position is to look into the file of William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr., an airman killed in Vietnam twenty-two earlier. Members of his unit, soldiers whose lives he saved under the fire that killed him, his dying parents (Christopher Plummer in his final screen appearance, Diane Ladd) have petitioned to have his Air Force Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor he was originally recommended for. As he travels to interview the people, we hear the things they are not saying more clearly, and Stan does too, gradually becoming convinced that Pitsenbarger must have his medal of honor, even though he is not sure why, and the fight may make him enemies he can ill afford.

It's a heartfelt and meaningful response to the question posed in the movie -- and almost a century ago, in BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN -- as to what a piece of ribbon is worth. It's a distinguished cast, including Peter Fonda (also in his last screen role), Samuel L. Jackson, William Hurt, and Ed Harris. Highly recommended.

The title of this movie derives from something Abe Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address all those years ago, "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion."

The event in question happened in Vietnam in 1966, 21-yr-old Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr., a medic, decided on his own to scramble down into the fray upon realizing the unit's medic was the one wounded. He had been recommended for the Medal of Honor but it never went through, we learn because the paperwork routing went awry. It was eventually awarded on December 8th, 2000 during the Presidency of Bill Clinton.

Several really good veteran actors are the the roles of men who fought with Pitsenbarger, plus during the end credits we see and hear from several of the actual men who were involved during the 1960s.

Good movie, I watched it at home on DVD from my public library, my wife skipped. Maybe 20% of the movie is recreated battle scenes, the rest in modern (1990s) times during the search to find out what happened and what needed to be done to get the award finalized.

This was a great movie. People who nit-pick it miss the point. Movies are supposed to entertain us, they are not history lessons. Sure there are a few mistakes, but nothing that detracts from the story or the man's heroism.

And for you guys talking about his "sergeant strips" that change did not take effect until Oct. 1967 and this action happened in April 1966. At the time of the action his 3-stripes indicated Senior Airman, which is still an Airman.

Sit back and enjoy the film. I'm sure you won't regret it. God bless you William Pitsenbarger.