Introduction
History entails a detailed analysis and examination of past events and describing how they affected or supported human affairs. Investigators and scholars rely on different mediums or sources to learn more about different occurrences and happenings. Over the years, history has been documented in letters, written materials, and oral narratives. However, a paradigm shift has emerged whereby analysts are relying on motion pictures to study historical events. The biggest question is whether the use of a film could be studied as an effective medium for detailing the facts of historical events. This paper seeks to answer this question using Oliver Stones’s movies and how they portray the true picture of the infamous Vietnam War. Unlike written materials, Stone’s interpretations of the Vietnam War appear more informative and depictive of most of the events from all perspectives, thereby giving the audience a rare opportunity to place the upheaval within its proper context.
Oliver Stone’s Depiction of the Vietnam War
Oliver Stone is an award-winning movie director and screenwriter whose films continue to entertain people across the globe today. In some of his famous works, Stone has succeeded to portray and showcase his experiences in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This outcome has been possible since he served as one of the deployed soldiers in the troubled country from 1967 to 1968. In the first film titled JKF, the viewer gets an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the United States government and the possible conspiracies leading to the eventual assassination of John F. Kenney (JKF 1991). In the film, a Washington-based high-level individual identified as X reveals that Kennedy’s death was imminent since he had plans to withdraw American troops from the Vietnam War (JKF 1991). He also indicates that there were attempts to get rid of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Due to such decisions, it becomes quite clear that the state would conspire to kill the president since they wanted to continue fighting in Vietnam and stop the possible spread of communism.
In his second film Platoon, it is evident that the U.S. army is comprised of inexperienced soldiers who encounter resistance from the Vietnamese who appear to be receiving arms from different sources. The notable incident in the film is when Barnes goes ahead to shoot the wife of one of the chiefs in the region (Platoon 1986). He goes further to threaten to kill his daughter. The audience also learns that most of the American soldiers raped and abused young girls in Vietnam (Platoon 1986). Another emotional incident notable in the film is when Barnes kills Elias to ensure that he does not testify against him in the upcoming court-martial. These occurrences reveal that the American soldiers tortured the locals, raped innocent girls, and even harmed or killed their colleagues during the Vietnam War.
The film Born on the Fourth Day of July has stood out as one of the best creations detailing the events and activities that occurred throughout the Vietnam War. In this movie, Ron is presented as a Marine sergeant who has been deployed in Vietnam to monitor the ongoing events (Born on the Fourth Day of July 1989). While on his second day of duty, Ron’s unit is seen killing several civilians in some of the villages. This event occurs after the team mistakes such as incenting civilians to militants. They are also seen abandoning an innocent baby instead of giving a helping hand. Ron’s incident involving the unexpected killing of Wilson sheds more light on the actions that took place during the time (Born on the Fourth Day of July 1989). This happens to be the case because the occurrence of such an incident goes unreported or punished. After he is done with his renaissance operations in Vietnam, the viewer learns that Ron eventually suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental condition that affects his life. Without any form of support, he becomes an alcoholic and eventually leads a troubled life.
In the film Heaven and Earth, the audience has introduced to the story of a young girl named Le Ly in one of the Vietnamese villages. Following the emergence of communist fighters in the country, she is captured and abused because she is confused for a spy. Viet Cong, one of the militants, is seen raping Le Ly in the film (Heaven and Earth 1993). She would later escape to Saigon where she is impregnated by his employer. Ly’s life would eventually change after meeting a U.S. soldier by the name of Steve Butler (Heaven and Earth 1993). Later, the two move to the U.S. whereby they begin a new life. However, Butler eventually suffers from PTSD because of the events associated with the war, thereby becoming extremely violent. He would later commit suicide, an occurrence that forces Ly to go back to Vietnam together with her children.
The film Nixon offers a detailed analysis of President Nixon’s life and some of the issues and events that affected him for the rest of his life. A good example is that he grew up in a troubled family whereby one of his brothers died as a child after a long illness associated with tuberculosis. The emerging tapes go further to reveal that Nixon could have abused several prescription drugs and alcohol (Nixon 1995). He would also disclose the potential feelings and roles of Nixon towards the assassination of the country’s president, J. F. Kenney. These events could be linked to the issues related to the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War and some of the ensuing challenges or issues.
After examining his achievements and works detailing the history of the U.S. and its involvement in several international missions, Stone succeeds in producing the Untold History of the United States, a series detailing most of the happened and how they would reshape the country’s roles in the world after the collapse of Communism. In these productions, the viewer learners that numerous cover-ups have existed that have made it impossible for the citizens to have a proper understanding of some of the events. For example, the series reveals how the U.S. got involved in World War 2 and the subsequent intentions (Ward 2017). The decision to fight in Vietnam was made to prevent the spread of Communism. The country was so keen to promote capitalism since, according to some of the leaders, it seemed more progressive and capable of transforming the lives of the greatest number of people. The issues depicted in this work of art are riveting and capable of exposing numerous issues regarding the country’s roles and involvement in different international upheavals.
Emerging Theses and Consistency
After examining the identified six films, it becomes quite clear that Stone focuses on the issues and events that took place in an attempt to present a convincing story. The viewer can identify several theses and themes that define the United States military actions in Vietnam and some of the emerging questions. To begin with, the films reveal that the soldiers engaged in a wide range of malpractices that affected the lives and experiences of many locals in Vietnam (Cornelius and Rhein 2019). The films detail how some of the soldiers killed, raped, and maimed innocent women in Vietnam. They did so without considering their rights while pursuing the pretext of stopping the spread of capitalism. These actions affected the lives and experiences of many young girls and women, thereby making it hard for them to lead better lives.
The films also reveal that inadequate policies and disciplinary mechanisms characterized this invasion. Specifically, most of the commanders would kill and maim their juniors without any possible consequence. The analyzed films reveal that the recorded actions by American soldiers were unacceptable and against the principles of duty. They could also be studied as crimes against fellow human beings. When revelations emerged, most of the studied films reveal how several attempts were considered to cover up most of these events (Cornelius and Rhein 2019). Consequently, most of the soldiers who survived were unable to achieve their potential or have stable lives thereafter.
The viewer is also exposed to several casualties whereby American soldiers and sergeants attacked villages and killed local citizens in Vietnam mercilessly. These actions were wrong and unacceptable since they affected the experiences and lives of individuals who expected to receive timely protection from the American soldiers and the communist fighters. Consequently, most of the victims had to live miserably, thereby being unable to pursue their economic and social goals. The killings of innocent civilians explain why the invasion was questionable and amounted to injustices and violence against members of Vietnamese society. Future analysts and scholars would have to examine the nature of these occurrences and depictions if they are to put them into their proper context. The approach could also help more people learn about this failed invasion and how it disoriented Vietnam instead of allowing it to thrive and realize its economic aims.
In these films, the viewer learns that the majority of the soldiers were compelled to operate in stressful environments. They lacked the relevant support, thereby being unable to pursue most of their goals. The example of Butler in the film Heaven and Earth showcases the plight of most of these soldiers. Due to the problems associated with PTSD, the majority of them would turn to alcoholism and eventually commit suicide. These outcomes could be linked to the events and horrific scenes witnessed throughout the Vietnam War. Any person analyzing most of these films would acknowledge that the actions of the American government were wrong and harmed more people in both Vietnam and the United States.
Another outstanding portrayal in these works of art is that most of the leaders in the U.S. held divergent views regarding the move to fight in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism across the globe. For instance, J. F. Kennedy supported the idea to withdraw troops and get rid of this war because he believed that it was unnecessary. Most of the key agencies in the country would receive the president’s position negatively (Cornelius and Rhein 2019). Relying on the collected information or evidence, Stone would rely on the power of film production to expose the involvements of some of the leaders, including Nixon, and how they ensured that such a mission was accomplished. With the final decision made, the soldiers in Vietnam would engage in several unacceptable acts and behaviors that need to be condemned or criticized since they amounted to violence against humanity.
From this analysis, it is agreeable that Stone succeeds to present a consistent interpretation of the Vietnam War in each of the studied films. Specifically, he manages to pinpoint some of the key decisions that led to the global involvement in Vietnam and other troubled regions. The increasing influence of the Soviet Union during the Cold war emerges as a major theme that encouraged the country to consider some of the best operations to deal with the imminent threat of communism. The presidency of Nixon is also heavily examined since he contributed to this war through various efforts and approaches (Nixon 1995). The reader would also acknowledge that Stone has helped shed more light on what happened in Vietnam and the challenges most people encountered during the period. It also emerges that most of these portrayals have missed out on most of the oral and written publications.
Comparison with Oral Presentations and Written Work
Historians have offered numerous arguments and ideas surrounding the infamous Vietnam War of 1955 to 1975. Many scholars have presented unique views about this upheaval from different angles. For instance, some analysts have argued that the support of South Vietnam by the U.S. and French soldiers was necessary since it would help overcome the influences of North Vietnam (Cornelius and Rhein 2019). According to scholars of history, such a fight could be studied as part of the Cold War whereby the Soviet Union and the United States were entangled in economic, space, and armament battles. The U.S. was keen to ensure that the wave of communism was not spread across the globe.
In most of the cases, written and oral testimonies have revolved around the nature of this war, the involved fighters, the responsible nations, and some of the intended goals. Opinion in such materials remains divided since most of the theorists have not examined the real experiences and challenges the majority of the people encountered in the country. For instance, little evidence exists to explore the plight of women and young girls in Vietnam during the time of this upheaval (Thi 2019). This gap has existed since most historians have only been focusing on the wider image of the war. Some historians have gone further to link some of the ensuing events with the issues that occurred in the United States.
It is also agreeable that the events and experiences of many soldiers in Vietnam remained poorly covered or undocumented. Most of the available files and reports have not disclosed the number of people who could have suffered at the hands of the militants (Do 2020). Such documents have also failed to capture some of the offenses the soldiers committed against civilians in the country. The works have also suffered heavy doctoring and selection to ensure that the intended information is read by people across the globe. Such a practice has made it hard for more people to get a true picture of the real events and happenings that took place in Vietnam.
Since many people would only access a small number of oral descriptions and written documents, it has become impossible for them to get a true picture of the Vietnam War. The West acknowledges that the war was a failure for the United States. However, the country does not provide additional documents to explore some of the challenges and pains the majority of the civilians had to go through (Ward 2017). The reports have also failed to reveal the exact number of people who committed suicide or lived troubled lives after finishing their missions in Vietnam. These facts show that better approaches and mediums would be appropriate to explore and describe most of the events that took place in Vietnam.
Support for the Use of Film
Having examined the unique roles of written materials in disseminating historical events and facts, it becomes quite clear that more people are still in doubt or unaware of the true image of the infamous Vietnam War. The good thing is that Stone emerges as a soldier whose firsthand experiences and observations in Vietnam helped him develop his film. In most of the studied movies and series, the audience is introduced to most of the happenings and challenges that the majority of the locals experienced during the time of the war (Daddis 2017). One of the noticeable issues is that the upheaval was horrific for the locals since they encountered numerous forms of abuse from both the communist fighters and the American soldiers. These professionals were also unable to provide support to those who were affected by the ongoing war.
In some incidents, the films reveal how most of the attackers targeted villages with many innocent civilians, thereby killing hundreds of them. The viewer acknowledges that most of such actions were wrong and could be studied as crimes against humanity (JKF 1991). The film director has managed to go beyond where documents and written texts cannot reach. His experiences in Vietnam shape his movies, thereby offering the best perspective of the happenings and actions of most of these soldiers and their offenses against innocent people of Vietnam.
Nonetheless, the people stood their ground and fought to overcome the recorded challenges. The premature withdrawal of the U.S. could be attributed to most of these horrific acts against the people. The films go further to disclose most of the events and decisions that took place in the U.S. under the presidency of Nixon (Thi 2019). With the desire to end communism, the government would engage in numerous actions that have remained questionable after the decision to remove its soldiers from Vietnam.
Conclusion
The above discussion reveals that films could offer more avenues and opportunities for retelling historical events. When produced by an individual who witnessed most of the happenings, such movies could help examine the smallest details and guide viewers to make their interpretations. The use of film as a strategy for narrating history is, therefore, plausible because it omits chances of censorship and influence. This paper has made it easier for the reader to acknowledge that Nixon’s mission to invade Vietnam was wrong. Such a move led to the assassination of an American president and allowed American soldiers to kill and abuse more civilians in Vietnam.
Bibliography
Born on the Fourth Day of July. Directed by Oliver Stone. 1989. Ixtlan Productions, 2008. DVD.
Cornelius, Paul, and Douglas Rhein. 2019. “Nostalgia, Stasis, and the Vietnam War Film.” Journal of Film and Video 71 (4): 15-28.
Daddis, Geoffrey A. 2017. Withdrawal: Reassessing America’s Final Years in Vietnam. New York: Oxford University Press.
Do, Scarlette N. 2020. “The War Never Ends: Films about the Vietnam War.” LIMINA: A Journal of Historical & Cultural Studies 16 (1): 53-58.
Heaven and Earth. Directed by Oliver Stone. 1993. Alcor Films, 2004. DVD.
JKF. Directed by Oliver Stone. 1991. Alcor Films, 2003. DVD.
Nixon. Directed by Oliver Stone. 1995. Illusion Entertainment Group, 2009. DVD.
Platoon. Directed by Oliver Stone. 1986. Hemdale Film Corporation, 2004. DVD.
Thi, Anh-Susann Pham T. 2019. “Vietnam in Global Context (1920–1968): Looking Through the Lens of Three Historical Figures.” Global Intellectual History 6 (2): 1-24.
Ward, Geoffrey C. 2017. The Vietnam War: An Intimate History. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.