Directed by Patrick Sheane Dunkan and produced in 1989, 84 Charlie MoPic (1989) is one of the numerous films about the Vietnam War. As a movie of the cohort, it has standard features that could be assigned to the war films, although 84 Charlie MoPic brought the fresh insight into the experiencing of the viewing of a movie about combat. In the 1980s the film industry was ready to assess the Vietnam War and its consequences. The number of films was produced, among them the Academy Awards winner Platoon (1986), directed by the war veteran Oliver Stone. What both of the films have in common is the recognizable characters in the platoon such as the inexperienced soldier, newcomer, born leader, and many so far.
The main difference of 84 Charlie MoPic which makes the film unique is a protagonist Byron Thames or its camera, to be more precise that becomes a communication channel between the characters and the viewer. The observer looks through the lens of the camera at all the interactions of the movie. Thames is a soldier of a US Army Motion Picture Cameramen who follows the team of an Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) and documents its mission in the Central Highlands, South Vietnam. He records how the team is fighting for their lives while trying to convey the mission and keep Thames alive. Aimed as an educational video Byron’s recordings invites the viewer to be a witness of LRRP team’s doubts about the mission, their private conversations, thoughts, conflicts, and tensions inside the group. There are no significant historical figures in the frame of Thames’ camera, placing politics aside the camera captures the regular infantrymen who gradually understand the senselessness of the warfare which is finalized in the Thames’ death.
However, the film tells the story of the Central Highlands mission in the South Vietnam, which is linked to the important military fight between the US Army and the People’s Army of Vietnam in the Ia Drang Valley, it was made in Southern California, the United States. Apparently, the production place was not the primary consideration in addressing the director’s message. Duncan as a Vietnam War veteran is striving for historical accuracy conveyed through the soldiers and his camera’s point of view. For the director, the relationships among the infantrymen expressed in the platoon, battlefields, and in the broader context of the war are the truth that can be compatible to the historical veracity. Emphasizing of such details as, for example, the hazard of smoking (because the cigarettes’ fume can be detected and reveals the presence of the American soldiers) indicates the profound understanding of the routine of the infantrymen’s life during the war and is available to someone who has the battlefield experience.
Probably, because of Dunkan’s military background, 84 Charlie MoPic is often compared to Oliver Stone’s Platoon. Both directors were enlisted to the US Army and were participating in the Vietnam War that inspired them for creating films about the armed conflict. The distinction between the two films is the level of recognition: Platoon is a numerous awards winner with the celebrity cast and 84 Charlie MoPic is a low-budget independent film listing unknown actors. The principal difference between Dunkan’s film and Hamburger Hill (1987), Under Heavy Fire (2001), Platoon (1986), and many others movies about the Vietnam War is the application of “breaking the fourth wall” practice that create the illusion that the characters of the motion picture interacts directly with the viewer. In film, the infantrymen are talking to the camera as if they are addressing a message to Thames. Thus, the spectator is not only a companion of soldiers’ actions but also a witness of their conversations and personal moments.
The issue of the historical authenticity of the war films is usually central considering the idea that these movies have the ambition to cover a particular period, battle, or mission, as well as the aftermaths of the warfare and existing relationships inside the army. 84 Charlie MoPic uses the camera as a storyteller, which can trick the viewer and create the feeling that it is not a fiction film, but a documentary. Although the director did not plan to mislead the audience; on the contrary, Dunkan attempted to uncover the life in the platoon, the relationships among infantrymen, and the accuracy of the mission. In these areas, the movie seems informative and can provide a deeper understanding of the Vietnam War and its impact on the American society. The growing feeling of the absurdity of the actions that the soldiers experienced during the mission and incompatibility of their thoughts and official justification of the war motivate the viewer to ask questions about the validity of decisions made by the leaderships of the US.
Not considering the lack of recognition, 84 Charlie MoPic is the highly recommended movie to watch. As the voice of the person who went through the warfare, the film shows authentic emotions, fears, and hopes of ordinary soldiers. The motion picture contributes to the wide collection of the battlefield films about the Vietnam War by its rare convey method, actor’s proficiency, and director’s pitch.
References
84 Charlie MoPic. Ex. Prod. Michael Nolin. Southern California, Cal.: The Charlie Mopic Company. 1989. DVD.