After reading Mel Gibsons best movie topic on this board, I thougt by myself: I'll go watch "we were soldiers" again....and I tell ya IT'S ONE HELL OF A MOVIE!

The contrast and the way that the two sides are actually one is magnificent.

For example: Hal Moore (Gibson) is inspiring his men, the same thing is the Vietnam Commander doing...

The Vietnam commander is watching haven, he looks at the moon...at the same time Hal is doing that too...

Both are great commanders and very tactical..for example: the Vietnam commander is saying that the river bed is the only place they can attack, then Hal is saying that the river bed is vital and should be defended at all costs.

Then I like the contrast of an American soldier (Lt. Georghean) and that with a Vietnam soldier (the man with the red diary)...both die and leave a women (family) behind...

And all these contrast makes it one...the deeper meaning of this movie is: although we fight each on one side of the line (Vietnam - Americans), we suffer all the same and fight for the same ideals, which makes us actually all united as "one".

This movie is really a suggestion for all who love war-movies!

I also really liked the way it showed you the wife's story and when they had to deliver the telegrams to the women who's men had been killed it added a more emotional side to it all.

I agree with everything you had to say about the movie and I think its underated .

It's definitely geared more for the pure war-movie-lover who can get into the strategy of the conflict, the manuevers, etc. I think perhaps it's underrated because of these factors. IMHO, far too many moviegoers have short attention spans and prefer movies with flash and bells and whistles.

Absolutely right.

I loved this movie.

We Were Soldiers [no stars]
2001, Wallace, US
An account of the first major battle after the arrival of US forces in Vietnam.
Nothing we haven't seen before, and if it is seen without the viewing of so many of the better predecessors, it can often be insulting to the genre.

For some reason, when I'm thinking about this, I'm realising how fantastic Malick's The Thin Red Line (1998) is...

Mick