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Hamburger Hill’ NotAnother Viet Nam MovieBy Dolores Barclay Associated Press WriterFor 10 days in May 1969. troops of the 101st Airborne fought one of the most brutal battles of the Vietnam War. More than 1 million pounds of bombs, including 152,000 pounds of napalm, were dropped on Hill 937 and more than half of the men were injured or killed. The soldiers calledit Hamburger Hill.The terror, confusion and bloodiness of that jungle warfare chillingly unfold in John Irvin’s ‘Hamburger Hill.”Unlike the Academy Award-win-nmg “Platoon” with its almost poetic visions and Stanley Kubrick’s more sardonic Full Metal Jacket,” the latest Vietnam War movie has even harsher realities and produces a feeling of deja vu: Seeing “Hamburger Hill” is like watching the 6 o’clock news almost two decades ago. Part of this reality is due to thespecial effects, which were coordinated by Joe Lombardi, The napalm sears the screen; the tracers rip right through it.And part is because of the collective abilities of 14 unknown actors who knew how to live with screenwriter Jim Carabatsos’ sensitive writing. What emerges is a portrait of yesterday’s young soldier; innocence takes a back seat tojust plain survival.Courtney B. Vance, who made his Broadway debut in the Tony award-winning “Fences, is outstanding as the angry medic Doc. He fights not for his country, but for the menin his squad.Anthony Barrile is the feisty I^inguilli, who spends most of his time correcting the pronunciation of his name.“Hamburger Hill is viewed within the context of the times and from the perspective of the men. So antiwar sentiment at home is seenas a callous stab in the back; likewise the reluctance of high school sweethearts to wait. A TV newsman on the front is portrayed as a babbling moron who has no idea what war is about, as he poses idiotic questions to a ragged and bloody squad returning from battle.The movie is not for thesqueamish; Bullets rip off skulls; grenades tear off limbs and leave raw stubs. The men die grotesquely.Iii lt;' The Dogs of War,“Turtle Diary) directs sparingly but does not allow his actors to stray. His ensemble is tight, with good performances throughout.The Paramount release was produced by Marcia Nasatir and Carabatsos with David Korda and Jerry Offsay as executive producers. Hated K for violence and graphic reality.The movie is showing at Farmington’s Cameo Theater.
Newspaper Details
Farmington Daily Times
Farmington, New Mexico, US
Fri, Sep 18, 1987
Page 50
Full Page
Clipped by
Jon C.
NJ, USA 16 Jan 2020
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