"Dead or alive, we will all come home together..."

How could anyone not care for this film? For certain, this one is right up there with my favorite military films. And i have to say that anyone who is not moved by Hal Moore's speech prior to leaving for Vietnam simply has no pulse. This is one of those movies that I (of course) own on DVD but when it comes on broadcast TV, ends up being watched in its entirety. Well, for the most part. I understand the importance of the flashes back to the states and the inclusion of the trials that wives of the service men go through, but having seen the movie more than once, my attention tends to trail off at those parts. Instead it is the intense comradeship displayed by the men in the field and the grit and genuine portrayal of the characters that draws me back the the film time and time again. These aspects inspire me and provide a lofty target for me to live up to in a way. In all likelihood I will never be in harm's way or in a situation where my life is truly in the hands of another, so my level of identifying with the men who fought those 4 days in the Ia Drang Valley ends significantly short of what real soldiers experienced. It does provide though a model to work towards. As with many military films that I enjoy it is not so much the action that appeals to me, instead it is the mettle of the men who are involved as well as their reactions when under distress. More of a observation on the Human Condition if you will.

That all being said, it likely is the chemistry between the major characters in the film that truly add sparkle to the movie. Always a big fan of Sam Elliot, who for the first time in my memory is not sporting his trademark moustache, absolutely love his role as Sgt. Major Basil L. Plumley, who was about as gruff as they come. His fun little quips throughout the film alone make the film worth watching. Gibson does an admirable job playing Hal Moore, his eyes do an excellent job of showing compassion for his troopers and contrasts nicely with a hardened exterior. Watching the DVD extras and seeing how the real Hal Moore spoke so proudly of his troops (and was instrumental in "getting the story right") I thought the essence was captured very well. Greg Kinnear as Maj. Bruce Crandle and Barry Pepper as Joe Galloway also did very well, bringing in some of the quirkiness with Crandle's character and Galloway embodied a loss of innocence as the movie's plot progressed. There were some light hearted moments interspersed through the film with kept it from being too ominous and I cannot speak highly enough of the movie. Lost to some I am sure, but very much appreciated by me, was the effort spent in both discussing the ambiguity of "which side was right" and the showing significant footage into the North Vietnamese. It took the care of not making this movie a "good v. evil" Vietnam movie. The screen time of Don Duong as Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An allowed people to relate to the Vietnamese side of the battle and allowed us to see the movie almost as a chess match between masters in a way.

"Look around you. In the 7th Cavalry, we got a captain from the Ukraine, another from Puerto Rico. We got Japanese, Chinese, blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians, Jews and Gentiles—all American. Now here in the States, some men in this unit may experience discrimination because of race or creed, but for you and me now, all that is gone. We're moving into the valley of the shadow of death, where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours, and you won't care what color he is or by what name he calls God. They say we're leaving Home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be. Let us understand the situation. We're going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive, but this I swear, before you and before almighty God: that when we go into battle, I will be the first one to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off. And I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me God."