"Who is it?" "How the hell do I know? He's got no goddamn head." There have been many films made about war, and the Vietnam War is no exception: Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, The Green Berets, Apocalypse Now, and Go Tell the Spartans, to name just a few. However, while most of these films (with the exception of The Green Berets) have met with commercial and critical success (Platoon won the Best Picture Oscar), Hamburger Hill is often forgotten. This is unfortunate, as it is a splendid film. If Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down made your stomach churn, Hamburger Hill really takes the cake (or, rather, makes you lose it) in terms of raw realism (save for the shot of a man's head exploding, if only because it is presented in slow-motion). The tensions of the soldiers - be they sexual, racial, political, or what-have-you - are constantly portrayed, with an excellent cast adding weight to the film (look for Don Cheadle in a supporting role, especially at the beginning and end). Based on a true story (the battle for a hill that was such a "meat grinder" that it earned the nickname "Hamburger Hill"), the film has received much praise from veterans of the battle for its realistic battle scenes. That is good enough for me.
Rating: 84/100
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