Hamburger Hill, Re-Mastered

Hamburger Hill DVD CoverWe had mixed reactions to the John Irvin Vietnam War shoot-em-up Hamburger Hill when we reviewed it in the September 1987 issue of The VVA Veteran. Coming out in the wake of Oliver Stone’s super-realistic, pioneering Platoon worked to H Hill’s disadvantage. The acting—with the exception of the work of Courtney Vance, the medic—didn’t come close to what Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger and company did in Stone’s movie. Nor did the dialogue, which we found clichéd and corny and filled with preachy monologues. And, contrary to the characters in Stone’s movie, the infantrymen in Irwin’s rarely rose above one dimensional.

What impressed us about Hamburger Hill, though, were the startlingly realistic action scenes, of which there were plenty. Everything felt very real, mainly because the filmmakers—including the screenwriter and co-producer Jim Carabatsos, who served in Vietnam—got the official blessing of the Pentagon and all the hardware was real. Among other things, this was the first Hollywood film in which the special effects crew used real phosphorus bombs. And they looked fearsome.

But don’t take my word for it. A new, re-mastered wide-screen 20th anniversary edition of the movie will be released May 20. The new DVD (Lionsgate, $19.98) includes bonus features, such as two mini documentaries, “Hamburger Hill: The Appearance of Reality” and “Medics in Vietnam, ” audio commentary, and an interactive war timeline. Plus you get to see a group of actors who went on to bigger and better things in the movies and TV, including Vance (Law and Order, et al.) Don Cheadle (Boogie Nights, Hotel Rwanda), Steven Weber, and Dylan McDermott.


Receive the Latest VVA News

Stay informed about the latest veteran news

Categories
Facebook Widget Plus
View Monthly Posts