Introduction
The theme of war enjoys popularity among film directors as it allows imprint epic historical events on the memory of new generations. “The Green Berets” is a war film that came out in 1968 and was based on the book of the same name, written by Robin Moore in 1965 (The Green Berets). The film depicts war actions during the Vietnam War. According to the plot, one American journalist named George Beckworth is to cover the topic of the military involvement of the USA in this war. Feeling skeptical about it, he finds the war to be pointless until he comes across facts that encourage him to go on an in-country mission to see the war actions for himself. A group of Green Berets headed by Colonel Kirby arrives in South Vietnam, where they meet Beckworth. They allow him to stay, but that very evening their camp is damaged by a Viet Cong, causing the death of an American commander, Captain Coleman. A couple of days later, the reporter accompanies the Green Berets, who are going to patrol a nearby settlement. The settlement has been attacked by a Viet Cong group. Almost all the villagers have been tortured and killed for their cooperation with the American army. This moment of discovery becomes crucial for Beckworth as he loses his illusion of the pointlessness of the war. After a few battles, Beckworth returns home. American soldiers in collaboration with a Vietnamese colonel are planning to kidnap General Pha Son Ti with the help of a model named Lin, who has to seduce him. They manage to do that but the majority of their team is killed. The film finishes with a scene on an Air Force base where a few American survivors arrive.
The Message of “The Green Berets”
“The Green Berets” was filmed during the Vietnam War, which ended only in 1975. The time when it was made has a significant influence on the way that the characters and events are shown. In the middle of the Vietnam War, there was a lack of public support for American military operations in Vietnam. More and more Americans were adopting pacifistic beliefs, and this is why the US Government needed to appeal to people’s patriotic feelings by creating a certain image of an enemy. As for the message of this film, it tends to portray the US army as being morally superior to their rivals. The plot is constructed in such a way that highlights the bravery and human dignity of American soldiers whereas all the characters struggling for the opposing state regime are shown as mean and undeserving, and all their actions are driven by their inherent cruelty. In opposition to that, the only motive of American soldiers that is shown in the film is their inexpugnable desire to protect the weaker ones. The film was made in the middle of the war and it makes it different from other Vietnam War movies as this film was the first. Its directors collaborated with the government and the location was furnished with military equipment that had been used during the war actions. Therefore, we can speak about the film’s high historical credibility in the matter of stage requisites.
Historical Credibility
This movie has many bright and fascinating scenes but I doubt that it can be called historically accurate. It certainly possesses historical credibility if we turn our attention to the variety of military equipment shown in many scenes. The warplanes and helicopters flying and crashing during the film are similar to ones that were used during certain military actions against North Vietnam. The film is also historically credible if we consider the equipment of the Viet Cong military detachments. Even though only negative sides of North Vietnamese soldiers were highlighted, they were also shown as really strong and dangerous enemies whose mastery of their weapons was beyond praise. The thing that also counts in favor of the film’s historical credibility is the accuracy of the military fatigues worn by soldiers, both from the USA and North Vietnam. But as we turn our attention to the main message of the film and its ideological component, “The Green Berets” is difficult to regard as historically credible because the way it depicts the war is not lacking in one-sidedness. American soldiers are shown as a bulwark of world peace whereas Viet Cong soldiers are presented as evil incarnate. What is more, the war crimes of Viet Cong soldiers are shown in grim detail, but there is no reference made to military offenses committed by the USA, which also took place during the war. In general, I would say that this film is credible if we consider the requisite but due to the one-sided message it would be difficult to learn something new about history from this.
Is It Worth Watching?
To conclude, my opinion of this film is quite controversial. From one side, it was produced and released during the war, portrays military equipment accurately, and is credible from a technical point of view. On the other side, the message of the film can mislead those who do not know enough about this war. I would recommend the film to those who would like to know more about the warcraft and weapons of the Vietnam War but I would also recommend them to study credible sources about this war to be able to see the aggregate picture.
Works Cited
The Green Berets. Ex. Prod. Michael Wayne. USA: Warner Home Video. 1968. DVD.