Mel Gibson gives an accurate and passionate performance in his role as Lt. Col. Harold G. Moore, the author of We Were Soldiers. The emotions he had to portray ran the gamut from humor to pathos with every possible stop in between. We Were Soldiers is Lt. Gen. Moore's (US Army Ret) recollections of the introduction of the modern air calvary concept to the battlefields. Early scenes in the movie depict Moore's intellectual study of the Indo-China wars and suggest that such study should have been done at higher levels than his. Noteworthy were his "lessons learned" from the French experience ten years earlier. Sam Elliot also gave a very realistic performance as the regimental sergeant major's (Sgt. Maj. Plummey) professional military border-line nuttiness. This movie was well worth the cost of the rental and should henceforth be the paradigm aginst which all military movies should be measured. Mel Gibson's portrayal is what one would envision in an intellectual John Wayne type role.
Review of We Were Soldiers: Getting It Right
