The Hanoi Hilton (1987)

Pretty Good

It is a performances centric movie

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Let me start off by saying that I was 1 year old when we pulled out American troops from Vietnam, but if I was an adult or teenager around that time I would have opposed the war as well. This film in question, The Hanoi Hilton is based on the experiences of American POW's and their experiences in captivity during the war. The film does have a right wing tone that is in favor of the United States involvement in the conflict, but mostly is about the perseverance, solidarity and strength that these men had to endure while in captivity. The Hanoi Hilton was made by Cannon films, a company best known for action films like the Missing In Action series and Chuck Norris dose not show up to save the day in this one. This project, while not an action vehicle is another low budget film from Cannon. However, this is a pretty solid dramatic film with good performances from its ensemble cast. While hardly Oscar worthy, the movie gets across what it needs to by showing the horrific conditions, torture and squalor that American soldiers in captivity by the enemy had to endure and the efforts by their captors to break these men. The reality of the situation was, I am sure much worst then portrayed on celluloid. But, this gives the audience a good idea of what it may have been like for these men. Michael Moriarity is the leading man in this film and is told through his perspective and he delivers a solid performance. I remember this playing all the time on cable and it is a good film and holds up fairly well.

DTUCKER.86 says it all. I served in the Army from June '73 to '76, so I had the misfortune to miss serving my Country with the true heroes. I also do a lot of reading, own hundreds of books, all non-fiction (with the exception of the only fiction book I own, The Warren Commission Report on the assassination of J.F.K.). Included in my collection are P.O.W. stories (any war) and these men went through HELL! Jane Fonda should have been THERE! Did any of you know how many of these HEROES were starved to death? The Dinks did not claim it was torture. They claimed, "no torture" because these Heroes (according to them) were "War criminals", so they were not covered under the Geneva Accords. Vietnam signed the G.A's, but in order to get away with torture, they claimed these Heroes were not soldiers, but "criminals". Anyway, I could go on. We cannot forget the men who may still be alive there. Our government never has cared. Shameful. I have never seen the movie, but I will purchase it when /if I ever come across it. Please, people, when you meet ANY veterans, please look them in the eye, shake their hands, and THANK them for the good work they did. I do, and will always do this. Vietnam vets are a forgotten breed, got shot at and hit, and #@%& on and hit when they got home. Jane Fonda COULD have been executed for what she did, but "Daddy" had a lot of pull and saved her. She half-heartedly apologized, too little, too late. Her agent probably told her it would be a good idea. Well, I intend to see this movie. Sorry about my rantings, but the Veterans out there understand and agree. Thank you all for your time.Also, "freidurchdietat" had some nasty things to say about this movie. Life in a P.O.W. camp is not an "Action Story" with p.o.w's shooting up communist captors. They weren't issued any weapons. Lucky to get a spoon. No, it was not intended for the "MTV Generation" but those "kids" should be required to watch it. "A big turnoff"? This movie is obviously way above your intelligence. Go back to "M.T.V.", your Chuck Norris hyper-action films, and leave the veterans alone. Better yet, run on down and join the Marine Corps. If you are lucky, maybe a D.I. will take you around back of the barracks and adjust your attitude. [email protected]

The Hanoi Hilton is an excellent film, that sadly never found an audience due to the fact it was an independant film with a cast of relative unknowns (except for Michael Moriarity and David Soul). This is a shame because it spotlights the men of the Vietnam war who were the true heroes. The prisoners of war who went though hell for our country. We are spared no details of that hell they went through in this film. It is a terrible story, but one that needs to be told and one we must never forget. One thing I wanted to add, its a mistake that few have corrected. Many people believe that the longest held prisoner of war in Vietnam was Navy Commander Everett Alvarez. He was shot down in August of 1964 and held until February 1973. This is not true, the longest held POW of the Vietnam War (indeed the longest held prisoner of war in American history) is Army officer Floyd James Thompson. I read a book about him called Glory Denied by Tom Philpott that told his heartbreaking story and I want to tell it as well. Jim Thompson was born in New Jersey in 1933. He started out life working in a grocery store and married his sweetheart Alyce in 1953. In 1956, he was drafted into the Army. He grew to love the Army and planned to be a thirty year man. He went through Officer Candidate School, Airborne and Ranger training and became a Green Beret Special Forces Officer at Fort Bragg North Carolina. In December of 1963, Captain Thompson was sent to a then unknown country called Vietnam for a six month tour. In March of 1964 (I wish to point out this is almost six months before Alvarez's capture) Captain Thompson was on a small spy plane that was shot down. He was badly wounded and taken prisoner. Thompson spent nine years in hell. He was kept in mostly jungle camps that were even worse then the Hanoi Hilton. At one point, he had no contact with other human beings for five years. He underwent starvation and horrible torture before finally being realeased in March of 1973. However, Thompson's sad story was in many ways just beginning. He and his wife divorced and he was never able to really connect with his four children (his three daughters were only 6,4 and 2 when he was shot down and his son was born after he was taken prisoner). Although he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he had lost the nine most important years of his career. He was a Lieutenant Colonel who didn't even have a Captain's experience. He married again but divorced shortly afterwards. Thompson began drinking heavily and even attempted suicide. Then in 1981, ironically after he finally conquered his alcoholism, Thompson suffered a massive heart attack and while hospitalized also suffered a massive stroke that left him permanently disabled. In 1990, he had to go thru the agony of seeing his son imprisoned for murder. Last year, Colonel Floyd James Thompson, a true American hero, died at the age of 69. This was one of the saddest stories that I have ever heard in my life a man and his family destroyed by war. I hope many people read the words that I am writing now because we need to remember the sacrifice of Colonel Thompson and the many like him who were POWs. The Hanoi Hilton helps us do just that.

This movie was a excellent way of showing how American POWs survived in Vietnam during the war. Michael Moriarty gives a riveting performance as Williamson and Scotty Sachs gives a memorable perfomance as Soles. This movie is a must see a war buff and it will eat away at a person's heart.