Battle of Long Tan movie to be made...

So...I went to see the movie on the weekend.
How was it? Brilliant.
I said earlier "Great war movies for me are the ones that focus on just a small group of men during one operation"...and this was precisely what I got. There was about a half hour setting the scene and the rest of the movie was the battle. Theres no back story, and no story after the battle...I counted three women, one was "Little Patty" who was there on the day, and gets about 5 minutes, and two VC women taking a fallen soldier off the battle field. So in other words no love story...indeed nothing that didn't happen.
That's not to say there weren't some inaccuracies...but all the ones I saw were small and didn't change the movie at all. The bloke who made the great documentary was part of the crew as was a soldier who was in the battle itself...so you can rely on the facts.
Two examples of the inaccuracies were 1. 3 US Phantoms are called for air support...an Aussie soldier throws smoke to mark the drop point only for the grenade to fizz out and not work, so the F4s drop their load where they think the enemy is and hope that it at least scares them off...in reality the F4s couldn't see s..t in the bad weather and didn't drop at all...either way they didn't change the battle one way or the other. 2. In the ammo drop scene the choppers drop ammo on the smoke point...in reality the VC dropped their own smoke to confuse the choppers and the Aussies had to throw a second grenade with a different colour to make sure they got their ammo...either way they got the ammo. There were a few others, but I can say that they didn't change the "truth" of the battle.

THIS IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE

I have to highlight this...it doesn't start or end like a Hollywood movie...No love interest, no happy ending so be prepared for an onslaught of absolute shit. The only characters are the real people who were really there. Theres no flag saluting, no heroes...just a taste of what fighting in Vietnam was like...one cant help but constantly put yourself in the scenes and wonder how you would have done...my answers weren't good im afraid. "Plenty of brown trousers" as one man put it in the movie.

Would I recommend this movie? To war buffs...absolutely.
To everyone else...you may be left numb and a little freaked out.

 

Ho, then living in France, appeared at the Versailles peace conference in 1919, seeking to meet with President Wilson and other leaders.

 

I'm looking forward to the film, and yes, the SLR. Coincidentally, I've just dug my Belgian G1 FAL out of storage, blown the dust off, and begun some shooting with it. The reason for the renewed interest is a great deal on a bunch of surplus South Korean 7.62 NATO ammo that's been recently imported. I had forgotten how pleasant the FAL is to shoot. The gas system (if correctly adjusted) takes up much of the recoil. I would not want to face such a rifle in combat. Even in the semiauto form it is balanced well enough that a rifleman can lay down withering and accurate fire.

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I think the photo is a 7.62mm SG43. The 12.7mm DShK also appeared on a wheeled shielded carriage but looked like this:



Mistaking "mm" for "cal" is fairly common; I've even seen ".50mm" which would be a tiny weapon indeed!

I do amateur theater and was once in a production of Murder at the Vicarage (producer and dead body). At one point the script refers to a "32mm revolver" which I changed to ".32 caliber".

 

At the end of the movie they show the actors next to a photo of the person they played...brings it home that these were real people.
After the movie my brother and I checked out the RSL at Semiphore in Adelaide...my brother knew the bloke behind the bar, an old bloke with a gray bikie beard...sure enough an ex Vietnam vet...my brother asked him if he’d be interested in seeing the movie...he said he’d wait for the DVD to come out...classic. Next to me was another old bloke with a bikie beard...so it was a little strange to go from the movies and 2 minutes later be standing next to two Vietnam vets...I felt honoured.

 

This is how big a 12.7 cartridge is - roughly the size of a .50 BMG. Those are 7.62x54 cartridges in the photo.

 

Found this...if you made this colour you would think this was the movie so closely did they recreate everything...this is "Little Patty" an Australian entertainer, only about 17 on her tour around Vietnam...she toured with an Australian music legend Col Joye (the skinny bloke) Here at Nui Dat (Newy Dat)

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I think I quick shot of the Australian SAS also in this...(The guys in berets)


Interesting photo...those weapons look like they've been through a bit too...

 

Another example in this article, referencing a "15-inch gun" on a Pershing tank. Presumably should be 15 feet, the barrel length.

U.S. tank crew receives medals for valor 74 years after gripping duel

p.s. might as well mention the Sturmtiger with its 38cm Raketen-Werfer.

 

Leaving these here for your delight and delectation-
The Battle of Long Tan Set #1 | King & Country

 

Wow! Mate that is awesome! So glad they are being recognised in such a way...these aren't generic either if you think about it...these were/are actual people being depicted. An added bonus to have the SLR and Owen included...not many miniature sets would have those...making it a must for collectors...


(Love the giggle hats too)

 

There are quite a few Aussie figure sets available from that company. Wish I had the money/space.

 

Danger Close opens in the States 8 November! Please keep an eye out for it...

 

Saw Danger Close on DVD today. I like how "tough guy" Smith was ready to cry at one point, and the heavens opened up to do it for him. Plus I'm a sucker for the Peckinpah style "ballet of death" and they did that pretty good. I also like that "Little Patty" singer. What a cutie.

 

I finally got the DVD and watched it last night. I like this movie and recommend it.
I wonder if the various ranks telling each to eff off and disobeying orders was as prevalent as the movie portrays it? I suspect it was not. People, especially the higher and mid ranking officers tend to gild their own behavior and backstab others after an inconclusive battle. One thing that I found interesting is because they didn't have the close knit air support that American units did, it was much more like a WWII or Korean War battle. Artillery saved them again and again.

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MSN

Legendary Long Tan Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith dies at age 90, leaving legacy of courage, loyalty.

Through mist, monsoonal rain, and rubber trees, the men held their ground against a three-sided attack from an estimated 2,500 VC and North Vietnamese Army troops.

 

Seen Danger Close on tv a couple of times now, and it's a good movie. Once it gets going.
Painfully slow to start with, after contact is made is when it becomes interesting as well as realistic.
On the same level as The odd angry shot, the only other ANZACS in 'Nam movie I've ever seen.