Even though we've seen all of these plot elements before in other movies, this portrayal of modern Vietnam worked for me. I felt like I could understand and empathize with the characters even when they weren't fully fleshed out (how fully fleshed out does Harvey Keitel's character have to be--even as a relatively one-dimensional character he has a huge presence onscreen as the allegorical "American" that had so much effect on the recent history of Vietnam as well as on the history of the movie's characters. everyone in the audience understands this... nothing else is needed).
The highlight of the film has to be the cinematography. I probably would have sat through the entire screening that I saw even if it hadn't been subtitled--I was transfixed. I left the theater with images that remain with me to this day. This is not a perfect film, but definitely one worth watching.
The highlight of the film has to be the cinematography. I probably would have sat through the entire screening that I saw even if it hadn't been subtitled--I was transfixed. I left the theater with images that remain with me to this day. This is not a perfect film, but definitely one worth watching.