Vietnam Aircraft Movies
Discussion
Can anyone suggest some good movies that are about planes or helicopters set in Vietnam?
Having read the good book "Chickenhawk", about a Huey pilot in 'Nam, I'm in the mood for some aeronautical films.
I've got "Flight of the Intruder" (great film) but I'm in need of more, preferably helicopter based.
I know Apocolypse Now has a great Air Cav scene in, but are there any other films mainly about pilots out there?
Having read the good book "Chickenhawk", about a Huey pilot in 'Nam, I'm in the mood for some aeronautical films.
I've got "Flight of the Intruder" (great film) but I'm in need of more, preferably helicopter based.
I know Apocolypse Now has a great Air Cav scene in, but are there any other films mainly about pilots out there?
The air war in Vietnam was extremely complex and varied with a vast range of differing aircraft types in use - ranging from World War 2 and Korean War vintage aircraft to state of the art supersonic jets equipped witrh laser guided weapons.
No Hollywood movie has even come close to covering in any really truthful way the extent of the air war. I'm not surprised really as it is impossible to get hold of many of the aircraft used - either because they are long gone or too complex and costly to fly for a movie. Maybe with the advent of CGI we may eventually get some movies covering the really important air war moments such as the various Linebacker and Rolling Thunder missions. Or carrier operations off the Gulf of Tonkin.
I also doubt if Hollywwod will ever go anywhere near the more controversial use of aircraft during the war, such as the carpet bombing of North Vietnam using B-52s or the deforestation programme using C-123s and Agent Orange.
No Hollywood movie has even come close to covering in any really truthful way the extent of the air war. I'm not surprised really as it is impossible to get hold of many of the aircraft used - either because they are long gone or too complex and costly to fly for a movie. Maybe with the advent of CGI we may eventually get some movies covering the really important air war moments such as the various Linebacker and Rolling Thunder missions. Or carrier operations off the Gulf of Tonkin.
I also doubt if Hollywwod will ever go anywhere near the more controversial use of aircraft during the war, such as the carpet bombing of North Vietnam using B-52s or the deforestation programme using C-123s and Agent Orange.
Bat-21 sorta
Air America (again sorta)
Otherwise itll be part scenes, Hamburg Hill, We were Soldiers (the ends a fake and they missed the plane going down in the jungle, though in the cinema im sure i saw this scene - Robert Mason is the heli pilot who went looking for him
Im sure theres some movies out there but the acting will most likely be dire or overpriced as itll be an import
Air America (again sorta)
Otherwise itll be part scenes, Hamburg Hill, We were Soldiers (the ends a fake and they missed the plane going down in the jungle, though in the cinema im sure i saw this scene - Robert Mason is the heli pilot who went looking for him
Im sure theres some movies out there but the acting will most likely be dire or overpriced as itll be an import
Eric Mc said:
Not one single Vietnam War film exists that reflects with any accuracy the extent and complexity of the air war.
This is unlike World War 1 and 2 and even the Korean War (The Bridges at Toko Ri).
Well the war was not only very unpopular but the general view was the US 'lost'. And losers don't generally make films abut their own defeat... witness the number of German films showing Panzers smashing triumphantly through houses...This is unlike World War 1 and 2 and even the Korean War (The Bridges at Toko Ri).
Simpo Two said:
Well the war was not only very unpopular but the general view was the US 'lost'. And losers don't generally make films abut their own defeat... witness the number of German films showing Panzers smashing triumphantly through houses...
True - but the Korean War wasn't a great victory either. Indeed, I would suggest that the Afghan and Iraq campaigns have not been clear cut wins for the US. But some decent films have already emerged from these more recent conflicts.Vietnam is pretty unique in this respect. The best Vietnam films have been about the "grunts" on the ground. Nothing decent has ever been done on the air war aspect.
Simpo Two said:
Well the war was not only very unpopular but the general view was the US 'lost'. And losers don't generally make films abut their own defeat..
There are loads of vietnamm films. Just not showing the air war.
We were soldiers shows how the helicopters and air strikes were used although its not really about teh air craft. It does show the tactics nicely though I think.
kingstondc5 said:
We were Soldiers (the ends a fake and they missed the plane going down in the jungle, though in the cinema im sure i saw this scene - Robert Mason is the heli pilot who went looking for him.
Bob Mason, that's the fella that wrote the book 'Chickenhawk' I just finished reading. (Assuming that you weren't aware of the link) It tells the story of his year in the Cav. Once I'd read about the battle that is featured in 'We Were Soldiers', I went and watched the film again.I did think of BAT-21 last night, that's not a bad film, but it does seem people are right - the Vietnam movies are all about the soldiers, the air war doesn't get much of a look-in.
Flight of the Intruder must be fairly lonely being one of probably very few jet-based Vietnam movies.
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