Movies About Vietnam

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Rated PG-13

Forrest Gump is a comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released in 1994. It follows the life of a naive and slow-witted man named Forrest Gump, who despite his mental handicaps, manages to lead an extraordinary life. Through his journey, Forrest meets many famous people and influences several major events in American history. In the end, he finds his true love, Jenny, and lives happily ever after. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning multiple awards, including six Academy Awards. It remains one of the most popular and beloved films of all time.

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Rated R

Apocalypse Now is set during the Vietnam War and follows the story of Captain Benjamin Willard, a troubled and volatile US Army officer who is sent on a mission to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz, a renegade American who has set up his own kingdom deep in the Cambodian jungle. On his journey, Willard encounters a variety of characters, from a US Navy patrol boat to the Playboy Playmates, who are participating in the war effort in some way or another. Along the way, Willard is exposed to the brutal realities of the war, including rampant violence and deprivation. By the end of the film, Willard and Kurtz have a fateful confrontation that will have lasting consequences.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin
Rated R

Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film directed by Stanley Kubrick, that follows a platoon of U.S. Marines as they go through their training and into the Battle of Huế during the Vietnam War. The story focuses on two enlisted men in the platoon, Private Joker and Private Pyle, as they deal with the harsh realities of basic training under the leadership of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Eventually, Pyle's mental instability and inability to cope with the rigors of training leads him to take drastic action. The movie then shifts to the battle at Huế where the platoon is pushed to their limits as they fight their way through a city of enemy combatants. The film culminates in a violent finale as Joker and the remaining Marines come face to face with a sniper who has been terrorizing them. Overall, Full Metal Jacket is a powerful and emotionally charged look at the psychological effects of war and is often regarded as one of Kubrick's best films.

From Oliver Stone, starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David
Rated R

Platoon (1986) is an Academy Award-winning war drama directed by Oliver Stone. The film follows a platoon of U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War who struggle to survive the violence, horrors, and chaos of the jungle. A young recruit, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), enters the platoon and soon finds himself in a moral crisis between two rival sergeants – the hardened, experienced Vietnam veteran Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the idealistic, naive Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe). As the platoon's leadership is tested, the men struggle to maintain their own humanity in the midst of the inhumanity of war. The film is an unflinching look at the psychological and physical toll of the war on the soldiers and paints an iconic portrait of life in the jungle and the battlefields of Vietnam.

From Michael Cimino, starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage
Rated R

The Deer Hunter is an American epic war drama film about a group of three Russian-American steel workers from Pennsylvania—Michael, Nick and Steven—whose lives are changed forever after they are sent to fight in the Vietnam War. After surviving the brutalities of war and being held as POWs, the three men return home with psychological scars. Upon returning, they find themselves struggling to adapt to the life they left behind and the tragedy that befell Nick's fiancee while they were away. The Deer Hunter is a powerful exploration of the effects of war, the power of friendship, and how difficult it can be to return home after a life-changing experience.

From Roland Joffé, starring Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands
Rated R

The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama directed by Roland Joffé. The film tells the story of the Khmer Rouge’s takeover of Cambodia in the 1970s and its devastating effects on the people of Cambodia. The film follows two reporters, Sydney Schanberg (played by Sam Waterston) and Dith Pran (played by Haing S. Ngor), as they travel through Cambodia to document the horror of the civil war. As the Khmer Rouge tightens its grip, Schanberg and Pran are forced to flee the country, leaving Pran behind. Pran must then survive the Killing Fields and make a desperate attempt to reunite with Schanberg in America. The Killing Fields is an emotionally powerful and award-winning film that captures the tragic events of Cambodia's recent history.

From Ted Kotcheff, starring Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, Bill McKinney
Rated R

First Blood is an action-packed survival film directed by Ted Kotcheff and released in 1982. It stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a former Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran who is on the run from a small town sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and his deputies. After fighting off the local law enforcement in an intense showdown, Rambo is arrested and taken to a nearby prison camp. He eventually escapes and leads the sheriff and his men on a violent pursuit through the mountains. Along the way, Rambo must confront his own demons and confront the pain of his traumatic past. In the end, Rambo discovers that it is better to forgive than to fight, and decides to turn himself in to the authorities.

From Sidney Lumet, starring River Phoenix, Christine Lahti, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Abry
Rated PG-13

Running on Empty is a 1988 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring River Phoenix, Christine Lahti, Judd Hirsch, and Martha Plimpton. It follows the story of the Pope family, who are on the run from the FBI for their radical past and trying to create a new future for themselves. Danny Pope (River Phoenix) is a high school student with a bright future who is forced to face the consequences of his parents’ actions from 16 years ago. The film examines the choices made by members of the family and the moral dilemmas that accompany them. It offers a thought-provoking look at the consequences of living a life outside the law, and the importance of making the right decisions for oneself.

From Milos Forman, starring John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, Annie Golden
Rated PG

Hair (1979) is a musical comedy-drama directed by Milos Forman. The film tells the story of a young man from a small town in Oklahoma who travels to New York City to join the hippie movement of the late 1960s. In the city, he meets a variety of characters including a free-spirited hippie girl, a mysterious guru, a cynical journalist, and a draft dodger. As he becomes increasingly involved in the lives of the people he meets, he struggles to choose between his new life of freedom and his old life of responsibility. Alongside its comedic moments, the film also deals with issues such as the Vietnam War, racism, and drug use. Ultimately, the film paints an affectionate portrait of the counterculture of the 1960s and its attempt to find meaning and purpose in a tumultuous time.

From Adrian Lyne, starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven
Rated R

From Barry Levinson, starring Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tom. T. Tran, Chintara Sukapatana
Rated R

From Hal Ashby, starring Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford
Rated R

From Julie Taymor, starring Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs
Rated PG-13

From Werner Herzog, starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Zach Grenier
Rated PG-13

From Oliver Stone, starring Tom Cruise, Bryan Larkin, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava
Rated R

From Alan Parker, starring Matthew Modine, Nicolas Cage, John Harkins, Sandy Baron
Rated R

From Randall Wallace, starring Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott
Rated R

From Brian De Palma, starring Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, John C. Reilly
Rated R

From Joel Schumacher, starring Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Clifton Collins Jr., Tom Guiry
Rated R

From Sidney J. Furie, starring Stan Shaw, Andrew Stevens, James Canning, Michael Lembeck
Rated R

From John Flynn, starring William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, James Best
Rated R

From John Irvin, starring Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Michael Dolan
Rated R

From Karel Reisz, starring Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty, Anthony Zerbe
Rated R

From George P. Cosmatos, starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff
Rated R

From Peter Markle, starring Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jerry Reed, David Marshall Grant
Rated R