Quote:
|
Originally Posted by HenryHill51
5. The Green Berets (1968)- It would be easy to dismiss John Wayne's Vietnam film was gung-ho Americana, but that's too easy. It's much better than that. Dealing with the war at the height of its volcanic temperament both here and abroad, "The Green Berets" satisfies its anti-war clique by addressing their concerns in the beginning and then embedding a liberal reporter with Wayne's group as they try and defend an outpost in the Vietnam jungle, questioning many of the film's attitudes towards the event. The war scenes are admirably filmed (except for a few model/dummy explosion scenes that are straight B-movie stuff) and even my lackluster admiration for Wayne as an actor is subdued by the rich characterizations and easy sentimentality.
|
I have a soft spot for it too but it just feels hopelessly out of step with its age: playing like something made twenty years earlier.
The director Ray Kellog started out as a sfx guy on b movies which probably explains some of the wonky model set ups.
I'd say it's better than its reputation suggests but, given how bad its reputation is, it could hardly be anything else.