Word of Honor (2003)
Prompted by a just-published book that holds ex-lieutenant Ben Tyson accountable for a hushed-up massacre committed by his platoon in a Hue hospital 18 years before, the army recalls Tyson to stand trial for murder. Tyson, confronted by an army authority anxious to save its own face, an embarrassed federal government, and a threatened marriage, and entangled, furthermore, in his own past lives and present sense of guilt, must call on all his cleverness and his own inner toughness to fight his case.
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good back-story, and good acting
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
If you are not American you should give this film a miss. It has nothing to say to anyone who has not got Vietnam in his country's historyIt is a flash back film of a court martial and the events which precipitated it. Caine Mutiny it isn't and even that had its defects. A French Nun is trotted out as an end of film dea ex machina to give an true account of what really happenedBad behaviour and scape goating is the name of the game and anyone who is not American will gape with disbelief at the indiscipline of conscripts in the seventies. A viewer will ask "they didn't do that, did they?" and then wonder why it is portrayed in fictionThe main character's soliloquy at the end is said to make up or sum up the ethos of the film - but to foreign ears it just sounds like an apology for war crimes, on the level of 'oops my finger slipped so that's OK'Any European should give this film a miss
Excellent movie . Don Johnson's outstanding performance is to be seen. The ending is a real surprise and demonstrates the depth of Don Johnson's character. His eloquent words in his defense about the men that served under him were tear inducing. It is a must-see. The weakest role appeared to me to be John Heard. The terror in young Don Johnson's eyes when in Vietnam was amazing. The scenes of the soldiers in Vietnam were so real I felt like I was there with them in the water etc.The dialog of Johnson's lawyer interrogating the witnesses was superb! I do not see the necessity of giving Sharon Lawrence such a "scandalous" past but it did demonstrate that for some people the past is is th past on not to be dwelled on because what counts is the present. See it now.
I had never heard of this movie but I'm a great fan of DeMille. I was totally blown away by Johnson's performance. He's way more believable than Sean Penn who always overacts. Johnson's performance is subtle even when he breaks down at the end. Great Great great. There's a great line in the film about the media being a giant conglomerate only interested in exploiting human tragedy for big bucks but calling it a search for truth.(Funny how apt this is with the NY Times looking into the adoption of Judge Roberts' kids) If this had been a feature film, I'm sure Johnson would have been nominated for an Oscar.The rest of the cast was so so but it doesn't make any difference. When Johnson is on the screen, the film is riveting. I also thought it was great that his son played him in the flashback scenes.
This film is great. It starts off with you thinking one thing and then at the end when you are almost sure you know what happened, they sock you with a jaw-dropper. The whole film is very touching, very moving, has lots of new ideas and views on the affects of the war in Vietnam. All the actors do a very good job and Don Johnson is impeccable as a Lieutenant/Executive. A must-see. Good job TNT!!!