We Were Soldiers is a grim, sad, and moving war film that takes place during the Vietnam War. It's about Lt. Col. Harold Moore, a devout Catholic man who is about to lead his men into the first battle of the Vietnam War. Before he and his soldiers leave to fight, he promises that he will be the first on and last off the battlefield and that no man will be left behind "so help me God". But the movie isn't only about the men in battle. It's also about the men's wives at home and what they had to go through - their fear of receiving those horrible letters announcing their husbands' deaths.
While We Were Soldiers may not have the complexity of Black Hawk Down, I still somehow enjoyed it more. One reason for this is the inclusion of the soldiers' families. By showing us their families before they go into battle and by showing us what their families endure during the fighting, the movie made me care more about these men and what happened to them. Not that I didn't care about the men in Black Hawk Down, but the point is more poignantly felt in We Were Soldiers.
Another asset to the movie is its handling of its characters. While it shows us more about these men than does Black Hawk Down, it does not make the mistake of focusing too much on the characters and not enough on the event itself (like Pearl Harbor, for example). It shows enough to make us care about them and it does this properly. It does not waste time on a corny love story that involves an unhealthy amount of sin. Instead, we see family lives that we don't want to see damaged. And again, this makes the point better than does a trite, indecent romance.
Yet another positive aspect of We Were Soldiers is the faith of the main character. Lt. Col Moore (played appropriately enough by real-life Catholic Mel Gibson) is serious about his Catholic faith. This is shown both in his family life and in his military life. In one scene, Moore prays in front of the Eucharist with one of his men before going into battle; he asks God to protect his men and to help him be a good leader. Another similar scene shows Moore on the night after the first day of fighting praying for all the souls of his dead men. These scenes effectively portray Moore as a sincere, devout Catholic and are definitely some of the film's stronger points.
Blending grim but realistic war fighting, heart-moving moments with the soldiers' families, and a lead character with a solid Catholic faith, makes We Were Soldiers one of the better war films I've ever seen. Even if you're not crazy about war movies, I'd still recommend it. |
