|
www.eonline.com - : War is hell, especially when you don't know what the hell's going on. And that's exactly the situation for the blindly patriotic men in the surprisingly touching We Were Soldiers. Mel Gibson successfully fills the boots of Col. Hal Moore, a Korean War vet, devout Catholic and history buff who leads his troops to the slaughter of the 1965 Ia Drang conflict during the early confusing days of Vietnam. (Moore and a battle-tested photographer penned the book the film is based on.) As expected, Soldiers captures the horrors of battle in slo-mo indulgence, but it also takes careful time to explore the pain and ugliness off the battlefield. Even more interesting, it allows the enemies to become human, too. Director Randall Wallace, who teamed with Gibson for Braveheart, has the road warrior speaking in mainly military clichés, but the film's emotional message and expanded viewpoint serve as a fitting tribute to the young men trapped in these all too true events. more...
|
B
|
Critic Reviews
