The Green Berets is a Vietnam War movie that feels like a WWII
movie.
Most movies about the Vietnam War,
from Go Tell the Spartans to Apocalypse Now to Platoon, speak to the war with cynicism, sorrow, or some
combination of the two. The Green Berets, however, seems almost
triumphalist in comparison. It’s really
two stories: one a “men holding out against impossible odds” tale and the other
a “men on a mission” yarn, connected only by the fact that both stories feature
some of the same characters. Neither
story focuses on what Green Berets actually do, which mostly revolves around
the training and professionalization of the partner nations’ military forces.
But that’s ok, really. Why?
Well, first, because it stars John Wayne, who may be the greatest star
the medium has yet to produce. Second,
because both stories get told rather well.
I understood the geography, motivations, and tactical situations of both
stories, I got where the characters were coming from, and I invested in their
journeys about as much as I do with any action picture.
And that’s what this is: a
straight-up war movie. Not much to chew on, but well put together
and a fine Saturday afternoon on the couch.
