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(Redirected from The Green Berets (movie))
'''The Green Berets''' is a 1968 film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, but the screenplay has little relation to the book.
Thematically, ''The Green Berets'' is strongly anti-communist and pro-Saigon. It was produced in 1968, at the height of American involvement in the Vietnam War, the same year as the Tet offensive against the largest cities in southern Vietnam. John Wayne was prompted by the anti-war atmosphere and social discontent in the U.S. to make this film in countering that. He requested and obtained full military co-operation and materiel from President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The U.S. Army's strict control of the script's depictions and equipment were reasons why Columbia Pictures, (who had bought the book's pre-publication film rights), and producer David L. Wolper, (who also tried to buy the same rights), changed their minds about making ''The Green Berets'' themselves.
John Wayne had always been a steadfast supporter of American involvement in the war in Vietnam. He had entertained the soldiers in Vietnam, and wanted ''The Green Berets'' to be a tribute to them. He co-directed the film, and turned down the "Major Reisman" role in ''The Dirty Dozen'' World War II anti-Nazi commando action movie to do so. Wayne's war movie justifies American military intervention in the war in Vietnam by arguing it is a necessary part of "a global crusade against Communist domination of the world". The film's first scene illustrates that contention when Green Beret tour guides at Fort Benning, Georgia, show civilian visitors to the U.S. Infantry School the Soviet- and Chinese-made weapons issued to the soldiers and guerillas of the communist NVA and VC, in pursuit of world domination.
Reporter George Beckworth (David Janssen) is a journalist present at a briefing about the American involvement in the war in Vietnam. The briefing (presumably at Fort Bragg's Gabriel Demonstration Area, a Special Forces (SF) public relations site named for SGT Jimmy Gabriel, the first Special Forces soldier killed in Vietnam) includes a demonstration and explanation of the whys and wherefores of participating in that Asian civil war. Skeptical civilians and journalists are told that multinational Communism is what the U.S. will be fighting in Vietnam; proof: weapons and equipment, captured from North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong guerrillas, originating in Communist Russia, Communist Czechoslovakia, and Communist China. Despite that, Beckworth remains skeptical about the value of intervening in the Vietnam conflict. When told by another Green Beret that he does not know whereof he speaks, as he has not been to Vietnam, the reporter accepts his challenge, and agrees go and witness the situation.
In South Vietnam, Beckworth arrives at an American camp, where he witnesses the humanitarian aspect, i.e. irrigation ditches, bandages, and candy for children, of the Special Forces mission, still, he remains skeptical of the need to be there. Yet, he begins to change his mind after a ferocious North Vietnamese attack upon the camp. Nevertheless, he remains unconvinced that the people of the Republic of South Vietnam need and want American military and economic help. So, after that battle, Col. Mike Kirby (John Wayne) invites him along on a top secret kidnap mission by a special ops A-team to capture a very important NVA field commander, who lives, eats, and drinks very well, in a guarded mansion, while the common people go hungry, cold, and naked.
After some exciting cowboy- and WWII-style heroism and adventure, the film's themes, message, and content foreshadow that, by fighting Vietnamese communists in Indochina, the United States will stop the spread of communist insurgencies in the rest of the world.
''The Green Berets'' has been heavily criticized for its over-patriotic and romantic depiction of American involvement in the Vietnam War, especially in comparison with later Vietnam War movies such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Hamburger Hill'' (1987), ''Casualties of War'' (1988), and ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987). Critic Renata Adler called it vile and insane. Yet, technically, it accurately depicts U.S. Special Forces working with the ARVN commandos, in proper field uniform, defending a firebase against a night attack. It features authentic military aircraft that are absent from most of the other movies, such as the Chinook helicopter, the Skyraider and AC-47 Spooky gunship aeroplanes. At that early point in the America's involvement in Vietnam, there was yet conservative optimism for victory. Nevertheless, both at the time of its release, in 1968, and in future reviews this film was and remains labelled right-wing propaganda.
In 2007, in a speech given at a Chicago conference, Australian journalist John Pilger reported that on viewing the film shortly after his return from reporting the war in Vietnam: 'I couldn't believe how absurd this movie was. So, I laughed out loud, and I laughed and laughed; and it wasn't long before the atmosphere around me grew very cold. My companion, who had been a [civil rights] Freedom Rider in the [American] South, said, "Let's get the hell out of here and run like hell." ' Pilger thought it ironic that John Wayne, who dodged the draft during World War II, "sent thousands of Americans to their deaths in Vietnam, with the notable exceptions of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney".
The ''Green Berets'' could also be derided as racist, in that many might say it conveys ideas that all Asians look alike, they need to be told what to do, they cannot do things for themselves — the two, leading Vietnamese ARVN officers are portrayed by Japanese-American actors (Jack Soo, George Takei); they take orders directly from the U.S. Army advisors; are treated condescendingly and seem to parrot what could be taken to be John Wayne's interpretation of the military mission, "First, we kill all the Cong, then we go home"; to another, after a like conversation, Col. Kirby says, "I like the way you talk", referring to the "kill 'em all, and let god sort 'em out" philosophy for fighting the war.
The film is criticized for glorifying the Vietnam War, and, in 2005, Chicago newspaper movie critic Roger Ebert enumerated it in his list of most-hated films for being a "heavy-handed, remarkably old-fashioned film."
See also United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Three commonly-cited technical mistakes are (i) the sun setting in the wrong horizon, (ii) the pine tree geography of where the film story occurs, and (iii) the communist enemy's incorrect weapons.
★ The film closes with the sun setting into the sea by Da Nang. Critics frequently mention this, because the coastline in Vietnam is on the east, while the sun sets in the west, the size of the sun's disc indicates it is dusk. The scene was filmed near Fort Benning, Georgia.
★ Since Fort Benning's geography has pine trees, viewers think it does not resemble Vietnam, especially as the story occurs in southern Vietnam, not its highlands. Nevertheless, it supporters wanlly argue geography: the Central Highlands of Vietnam have pine trees and Georgian terrain like that of Fort Benning. [1][2]
★ The weapons of the Vietcong guerrillas and NVA soldiers, while mostly American and British, are accurate, as Chinese copies of them were exported to the NVA and Vietcong. At the time, few modern Russian and Chinese assault rifles, i.e. the AK-47, had been captured by the Americans or Hollywood.
★ As the movie was made with the full co-operation of the US military, the filmmakers had access to authentic firearms. Early in the movie, John Wayne uses a US-marked M16 made by Harrington & Richardson, while later he uses a CAR-15, manufacturer unknown (presumably Colt). After filming, both guns were set aside because of their connection to the movie, and never issued. The H&R M16 has long resided in a private collection in the Northeastern US, while the CAR-15 is believed to have been retained by the US Army.
★ In a climactic scene in which Wayne was scripted to break an M16 rifle against a tree, rather than break a real gun, he used a plastic toy replica of an M16, made by Mattel, as a substitute.
★ The defensive battle that begins the second half of the movie is very loosely based on the Battle of Nam Dong, during which two Viet Cong battalions attacked a small outpost defended by a mixed force of Americans, Australians and South Vietnamese. After the successful defense of the outpost, the commanding officer, Capt. Roger Donlon was awarded the Medal of Honor.
★ The Wilhelm scream a famous stock sound effect is used 4 times throughout the siege on the fort.
★ Comedian Richard Pryor is often credited with a small role in this film, and author Gilbert Adair even went so far as to point out Pryor's presence as an example of the underrepresentation of African-Americans in the film. In reality, however, the Richard Pryor in this movie is Texas newspaper columnist Richard 'Cactus' Pryor, a friend of Wayne's and a white man.
★ This film is often identified as the "only film made about the Vietnam War during the Vietnam War" or as the "only pro-war movie made during the Vietnam War", but it is neither. At least two arguably pro-war films were made during the Vietnam War concerning American forces in Vietnam: A Yank in Viet-Nam (1964) (which was actually filmed in Vietnam) and To the Shores of Hell (1966).
★ Viet Nam War dot com review
'''The Green Berets''' is a 1968 film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, but the screenplay has little relation to the book.
Thematically, ''The Green Berets'' is strongly anti-communist and pro-Saigon. It was produced in 1968, at the height of American involvement in the Vietnam War, the same year as the Tet offensive against the largest cities in southern Vietnam. John Wayne was prompted by the anti-war atmosphere and social discontent in the U.S. to make this film in countering that. He requested and obtained full military co-operation and materiel from President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The U.S. Army's strict control of the script's depictions and equipment were reasons why Columbia Pictures, (who had bought the book's pre-publication film rights), and producer David L. Wolper, (who also tried to buy the same rights), changed their minds about making ''The Green Berets'' themselves.
John Wayne had always been a steadfast supporter of American involvement in the war in Vietnam. He had entertained the soldiers in Vietnam, and wanted ''The Green Berets'' to be a tribute to them. He co-directed the film, and turned down the "Major Reisman" role in ''The Dirty Dozen'' World War II anti-Nazi commando action movie to do so. Wayne's war movie justifies American military intervention in the war in Vietnam by arguing it is a necessary part of "a global crusade against Communist domination of the world". The film's first scene illustrates that contention when Green Beret tour guides at Fort Benning, Georgia, show civilian visitors to the U.S. Infantry School the Soviet- and Chinese-made weapons issued to the soldiers and guerillas of the communist NVA and VC, in pursuit of world domination.
| Contents |
| Plot |
| Criticism |
| Glorification of the war |
| Technical errors |
| Trivia |
| External links |
Plot
Reporter George Beckworth (David Janssen) is a journalist present at a briefing about the American involvement in the war in Vietnam. The briefing (presumably at Fort Bragg's Gabriel Demonstration Area, a Special Forces (SF) public relations site named for SGT Jimmy Gabriel, the first Special Forces soldier killed in Vietnam) includes a demonstration and explanation of the whys and wherefores of participating in that Asian civil war. Skeptical civilians and journalists are told that multinational Communism is what the U.S. will be fighting in Vietnam; proof: weapons and equipment, captured from North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong guerrillas, originating in Communist Russia, Communist Czechoslovakia, and Communist China. Despite that, Beckworth remains skeptical about the value of intervening in the Vietnam conflict. When told by another Green Beret that he does not know whereof he speaks, as he has not been to Vietnam, the reporter accepts his challenge, and agrees go and witness the situation.
In South Vietnam, Beckworth arrives at an American camp, where he witnesses the humanitarian aspect, i.e. irrigation ditches, bandages, and candy for children, of the Special Forces mission, still, he remains skeptical of the need to be there. Yet, he begins to change his mind after a ferocious North Vietnamese attack upon the camp. Nevertheless, he remains unconvinced that the people of the Republic of South Vietnam need and want American military and economic help. So, after that battle, Col. Mike Kirby (John Wayne) invites him along on a top secret kidnap mission by a special ops A-team to capture a very important NVA field commander, who lives, eats, and drinks very well, in a guarded mansion, while the common people go hungry, cold, and naked.
After some exciting cowboy- and WWII-style heroism and adventure, the film's themes, message, and content foreshadow that, by fighting Vietnamese communists in Indochina, the United States will stop the spread of communist insurgencies in the rest of the world.
Criticism
''The Green Berets'' has been heavily criticized for its over-patriotic and romantic depiction of American involvement in the Vietnam War, especially in comparison with later Vietnam War movies such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Hamburger Hill'' (1987), ''Casualties of War'' (1988), and ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987). Critic Renata Adler called it vile and insane. Yet, technically, it accurately depicts U.S. Special Forces working with the ARVN commandos, in proper field uniform, defending a firebase against a night attack. It features authentic military aircraft that are absent from most of the other movies, such as the Chinook helicopter, the Skyraider and AC-47 Spooky gunship aeroplanes. At that early point in the America's involvement in Vietnam, there was yet conservative optimism for victory. Nevertheless, both at the time of its release, in 1968, and in future reviews this film was and remains labelled right-wing propaganda.
In 2007, in a speech given at a Chicago conference, Australian journalist John Pilger reported that on viewing the film shortly after his return from reporting the war in Vietnam: 'I couldn't believe how absurd this movie was. So, I laughed out loud, and I laughed and laughed; and it wasn't long before the atmosphere around me grew very cold. My companion, who had been a [civil rights] Freedom Rider in the [American] South, said, "Let's get the hell out of here and run like hell." ' Pilger thought it ironic that John Wayne, who dodged the draft during World War II, "sent thousands of Americans to their deaths in Vietnam, with the notable exceptions of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney".
The ''Green Berets'' could also be derided as racist, in that many might say it conveys ideas that all Asians look alike, they need to be told what to do, they cannot do things for themselves — the two, leading Vietnamese ARVN officers are portrayed by Japanese-American actors (Jack Soo, George Takei); they take orders directly from the U.S. Army advisors; are treated condescendingly and seem to parrot what could be taken to be John Wayne's interpretation of the military mission, "First, we kill all the Cong, then we go home"; to another, after a like conversation, Col. Kirby says, "I like the way you talk", referring to the "kill 'em all, and let god sort 'em out" philosophy for fighting the war.
Glorification of the war
The film is criticized for glorifying the Vietnam War, and, in 2005, Chicago newspaper movie critic Roger Ebert enumerated it in his list of most-hated films for being a "heavy-handed, remarkably old-fashioned film."
See also United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
Technical errors
Three commonly-cited technical mistakes are (i) the sun setting in the wrong horizon, (ii) the pine tree geography of where the film story occurs, and (iii) the communist enemy's incorrect weapons.
★ The film closes with the sun setting into the sea by Da Nang. Critics frequently mention this, because the coastline in Vietnam is on the east, while the sun sets in the west, the size of the sun's disc indicates it is dusk. The scene was filmed near Fort Benning, Georgia.
★ Since Fort Benning's geography has pine trees, viewers think it does not resemble Vietnam, especially as the story occurs in southern Vietnam, not its highlands. Nevertheless, it supporters wanlly argue geography: the Central Highlands of Vietnam have pine trees and Georgian terrain like that of Fort Benning. [1][2]
★ The weapons of the Vietcong guerrillas and NVA soldiers, while mostly American and British, are accurate, as Chinese copies of them were exported to the NVA and Vietcong. At the time, few modern Russian and Chinese assault rifles, i.e. the AK-47, had been captured by the Americans or Hollywood.
Trivia
★ As the movie was made with the full co-operation of the US military, the filmmakers had access to authentic firearms. Early in the movie, John Wayne uses a US-marked M16 made by Harrington & Richardson, while later he uses a CAR-15, manufacturer unknown (presumably Colt). After filming, both guns were set aside because of their connection to the movie, and never issued. The H&R M16 has long resided in a private collection in the Northeastern US, while the CAR-15 is believed to have been retained by the US Army.
★ In a climactic scene in which Wayne was scripted to break an M16 rifle against a tree, rather than break a real gun, he used a plastic toy replica of an M16, made by Mattel, as a substitute.
★ The defensive battle that begins the second half of the movie is very loosely based on the Battle of Nam Dong, during which two Viet Cong battalions attacked a small outpost defended by a mixed force of Americans, Australians and South Vietnamese. After the successful defense of the outpost, the commanding officer, Capt. Roger Donlon was awarded the Medal of Honor.
★ The Wilhelm scream a famous stock sound effect is used 4 times throughout the siege on the fort.
★ Comedian Richard Pryor is often credited with a small role in this film, and author Gilbert Adair even went so far as to point out Pryor's presence as an example of the underrepresentation of African-Americans in the film. In reality, however, the Richard Pryor in this movie is Texas newspaper columnist Richard 'Cactus' Pryor, a friend of Wayne's and a white man.
★ This film is often identified as the "only film made about the Vietnam War during the Vietnam War" or as the "only pro-war movie made during the Vietnam War", but it is neither. At least two arguably pro-war films were made during the Vietnam War concerning American forces in Vietnam: A Yank in Viet-Nam (1964) (which was actually filmed in Vietnam) and To the Shores of Hell (1966).
External links
★ Viet Nam War dot com review
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