Hamburger Hill is the supposedly poor cousin of the two highly acclaimed Vietnam War films, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. While the latter two films were released to critical acclaim, Hamburger Hill received a somewhat mixed reaction from the press. Hamburger Hill is directed by John Irvin ... Read review
The men of Bravo Company are facing a battle that's all uphill... up Hamburger Hill. ... more
Fourteen war-weary soldiers are battling for a mud-covered mound of earth so named because it chews up soldiers like chopped meat. They are fighting for their country ...
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BecauseHamburger Hillwas released less than a year after Oliver Stone'sPlatoonand within ... more
months of Stanley Kubrick'sFull Metal Jacket, this exceptionally well-made film about one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War was largely overshadowed and ...
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War at its worst fought by men at their best.on the 11th May 1969, troops of the 101st ... more
airborne division engaged the enemy at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley.Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later, the troops who fought there called it Hamburger Hill.
On the 11th of May in 1969, troops of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy ... more
at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley. Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later--which resulted in 70 per cent casualties--the troops who fought there called it 'Hamburger Hill'. Based on a true story.
Good Night, And Good Luck.Written by George Clooney and directed by George Clooney, Good ... more
Night, And Good Luck takes place during the early days of US broadcast. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television news pioneer Edward R. Murrow (David Strathaim) and Senator Joseph McCarthy.With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, the groundbreaking Murrow, and his dedicated staff, headed by his producers Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba (George Clooney and Robert Downey Jr.) defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongereing tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'.In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on regardless and their tenaciousness eventually pays off when McCarthy is brought before the US Senate. Their legacy has remained intact and even reverberates today as the standard for high quality broadcast journalism.Hamburger Hill - War At Its Worst Fought By Men At Their Best:On the 11th May 1969, troops of the 101st airborne division engaged the enemy at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley.Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later, the troops who fought there called it Hamburger HillPierre Point:Pierrepoint is the gripping true-life story of Albert Pierrepoint, Britain's most notorious hangman. Albert rises through the ranks to become the most feared and respected executioner in the country, hanging some of Britain's most infamous murderers.
Production Year: 1970 - War - Director: Brian G. Hutton - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles, Gavin MacLeod
Advantages: Realistic depiction of war, plenty of action Disadvantages: A bit slow in places, very graphic violence
Hamburger Hill is the supposedly poor cousin of the two highly acclaimed Vietnam War films, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. While the latter two films were released to critical acclaim, Hamburger Hill received a somewhat mixed reaction from the press. Hamburger Hill is directed by John Irvin and was released in 1987 and unlike the other two films is based around an actual battle that occurred during the war.
The film follows the fortunes ... ...commanders during the war. Hamburger Hill aims to retell the story of the battle and highlight the ferocity of the fighting that took place during those ten days.
The film starts with a group of soldiers bogged down in the A Shau Valley, (the area where the hill is located) and under heavy enemy fire they are forced to retreat back to their camp. The camp is then the setting for the first half of the film and we are shown how the ... more
Hamburger Hill is the supposedly poor cousin of the two highly acclaimed Vietnam War films, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. While the latter two films were released to critical acclaim, Hamburger Hill received a somewhat mixed reaction from the press. Hamburger Hill is directed by John Irvin and was released in 1987 and unlike the other two films is based around an actual battle that occurred during the war.
The film follows the fortunes of the 101st Airborne Division as they fight to gain control of Hill 937 (it’s height in metres) which after the battle was renamed ‘Hamburger Hill’ for obvious reasons. The battle lasted for ten days and during that time the Americans were forced to use three battalions of soldiers to remove the Vietnamese presence from the hill. The defending forces, The 28th North Vietnamese Regiment were entirely wiped out in the attack. Just a month later the 101st Airborne Division was helicoptered out of the area and the North Vietnamese took up positions on the hill once again. The decision to remove the troops was highly criticised and critics pointed to it as an example of the futile tactics used by the American commanders during the war. Hamburger Hill aims to retell the story of the battle and highlight the ferocity of the fighting that took place during those ten days.
The film starts with a group of soldiers bogged down in the A Shau Valley, (the area where the hill is located) and under heavy enemy fire they are forced to retreat back to their camp. The camp is then the setting for the first half of the film and we are shown how the American soldiers lived and some of the entertainment that they were partial to whilst they were stationed in Vietnam (wink, wink). One of my favourite scenes from the camp shows Doc Johnson (Courtney B Vance) educating a group of new recruits on personal hygiene and the various diseases, which they may have the misfortune to contract during their service. The first half of the film plays out rather slowly as the characters are developed and we see the first sign of the divide between the ‘black‘ and the ‘white‘ soldiers. We are introduced to the main cast of characters including Sgt. Franz (Dylan McDermot) who is charged with leading the assault on Hill 937, ‘Doc’ Johnson (Courtney B Vance) and a whole host of soldiers who will take part in the battle.
After a mortar attack on the camp the 101st Airborne are moved back into the A Shau Valley and ordered to take the hill. On the 10th May 1969 the troops make their way through the jungle to secure the base of the hill and the next day the battle for the hill begins. The rest of the film then focuses on the battle for the hill and the initially failed attempts of the American soldiers to grab a foothold on the hill. The battle scenes in the film are quite horrific and some of them are just utterly disturbing which means that this is definitely not a film for the squeamish. One particularly harrowing scene from the film comes as the soldiers near the end of the battle and their own helicopters begin to fire down on them mistaking them for North Vietnamese troops. No matter how many times I watch this film I still can’t help but shout out in frustration as the helicopter fire rips through the American soldiers.
The performances in this film are of a good standard and the actors seem to lend themselves well to the characters they play. Dylan McDermot is excellent as the suffering Sergeant who has to lead his war weary troops up and down the hill time after time. The best performance of the film however, comes from Courtney B Vance who plays ‘Doc’ Johnson the veteran medic who has a chip on his shoulder and is only too happy to expound his philosophy upon anyone within earshot. We also get a glimpse of the other side of his character though, of his anguish at the needless loss of life and his futile attempts to save the wounded soldiers and Courtney B Vance exposes his character brilliantly. The remainder of the cast perform fairly well and to be honest there are so many other soldiers that at times it can become quite difficult to work what is happening to who. The characterisation in the film is somewhat restricted outside of the two main characters but we are at least given an insight into each of the characters and a hint at their feelings towards the situation they find themselves in.
The real beauty of this film however, is in its depiction of war, playing more like a documentary then a film it aims to highlight the brutality of war and doesn’t concern itself with needless style and simply concentrates on the story at hand. The plot is kept simple and there aren’t any twists or changes in direction, which means that you always know where the film is heading. This is where the film suffers for some people though and at points the film does drag a little especially during the beginning half in the camp. Hamburger Hill is probably not the most entertaining of the three well talked about Vietnam films but it is certainly the most realistic. If you like your war films more factual and less ‘Hollywood’ then I would definitely recommend Hamburger Hill.
Advantages: Realism,great scenes,action packed. Disadvantages: makes you think to hard!
...a song in the film Hamburger Hill)
I spent the afternoon today watching one of my husbands "war" movies, not my choice I can tell you!
I can quite honestly say that I have not been affected by a film in the way Hamburger Hill has affected me.
Directed by John Irvin and set in May 1969, the film is about a company of brave soldiers from the 101st Airborne Divison fighting a war in Vietnam, a war that many protested to, a war where many young lives ... ...lives lost, it was re-named Hamburger Hill.
This film portray's the brutality of war, you can in a sense feel the fright of these men, the horror and the sadness.
From the start of this film I was gripped, you see the lads splashing around in a river having fun, people relaxing, then a split second later they are ambushed and a bloody assult ensues.
The scene that I found most disturbing was when they had been on Hamburger Hill for some of the ...
jennylou 02.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
Advantages: Powerful and emotional, good characterisation Disadvantages: Drags too much in the first half
Hamburger Hill is a much overlooked film relating to the intensity and gruelling conditions endured by the US forces in the Vietnam War. Unlike many other Vietnam War films, this one dramatises an actual event, the taking of 'Hamburger Hill' by 101st Airborne Division, despite heavy losses and the menacing and powerful 28th North Vietnamese Regiment who were holding the hill.
The film didn't really use any majorly established actors for the film, ... ...cast for the most part, Hamburger Hill is a film that I would suggest watching, but don't be in a rush to do so. It can drag at times, and there is a lot of dialogue. I feel it portrays some of the feelings about the war quite well, but in doing so does labour the point somewhat, and makes the film drag a bit more than it could. Otherwise, an intriguing watch.
I caught the film on TV, and as such this is a review of the film only. However, the DVD ...
pmcds 19.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
Advantages: Reality of War. Disadvantages: Not for the squemish.
...control of this hill, nicknamed Hamburger Hill, is cruel, dirty and dramatic. The film centres on one platoon that has been given the task of leading the assault on this hill. Many of the platoon members are killed or injured and some the make-up effects are totally realistic, when limbs are missing or parts of bodies are blown up. This certainly is not a film for the squeamish. Time after time the platoon attempts to fight it’s way up to the ... ...fall back to their base at the bottom of the hill. During the time in between attacks there is some excellent dialog between the team members and this reflects the feelings that the American soldiers had for each other, depending upon race, wealth, education or background. There is dissent, hate and jealousy that at times leads to high tension, but all this disappears when the platoon works together during each attack. There is also a reflection ...
daseaford 08.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
Advantages: Unique portrayal and mature filmmaking Disadvantages: Lacks universally appealing sub-plots and can aliente audience
...Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Hamburger Hill during 1986/7, I feel that this is definitely the most under-rated film of the Hollywood Vietnam films. There's a lot going for it, especially the realism that isn't afraid to portray ordinary AND spectacular events with purely diegetic sound. I like the way that the film provides no answers, and it deals with the race problem in the US army like no other film.
The film can be a little gory at times, ...
Pritpal 21.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
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Quick review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
This has to be one of the most underated War movies of all time. It was released a year after Platoon and was kind of overshadowed by Platoon's success.
In my opnion, Hamburger Hill gives a clearer insight into the individual struggles of soldiers/new-recruits from different backgrounds & races having to put their differences aside for 1 common course. ...
blackmongoose 04.02.2009
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hamburger Hill (DVD)
On the 11th of May in 1969, troops of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley. Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later, the troops who fought there called it 'Hamburger Hill'. Based on a true story.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT, COLUMBIA TRI-STAR HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Well produced and directed with an eye to documentary-like realism and authenticity... (Variety, 21/08/2006)
Technical information
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital
Special Features
Theatrical Trailer, Filmographies
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD Description
On the 11th of May in 1969, troops of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy at the base of Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley. Ten days and eleven bloody assaults later--which resulted in 70 per cent casualties--the troops who fought there called it 'Hamburger Hill'. Based on a true story.
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