Green Berets | 
| Directors: John Wayne, Ray Kellogg
Actors: Luke Askew, Bruce Cabot, Eddy Donno, Jason Evers, Edward Faulkner
Studio: Warner Home Video
List Price: $4.98
Buy Used: $0.28
You Save: $4.70 (94%)
New (17) Used (51) Collectible (9) from $0.28
Rating:  110 reviews
Sales Rank: 12763
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Hifi Sound, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Vietnamese (Original Language)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 141 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6300267830
UPC: 012569100237
EAN: 9786300267831
ASIN: 6300267830
Theatrical Release Date: 1968
Release Date: April 1, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Video, and cover are in good condition. 100% guaranteed. Fast shipping!
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Anyone who fought in Vietnam can tell you that the war bore little resemblance to this propagandistic action film starring and codirected by John Wayne. But the film itself is not nearly as bad as its reputation would suggest; critics roasted its gung-ho politics while ignoring its merits as an exciting (if rather conventional and idealistic) war movie. Some notorious mistakes were made--in the final shot, the sun sets in the east!--and it's an awkward attempt to graft WWII heroics onto the Vietnam experience. But as the Duke's attempt to acknowledge the men who were fighting and dying overseas, it's a rousing film in which Wayne commands a regiment on a mission to kidnap a Viet Cong general. David Janssen plays a journalist who learns to understand Wayne's commitment to battling Communism, and Jim Hutton (Timothy's dad) plays an ill-fated soldier who adopts a Vietnamese orphan. --Jeff Shannon
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 105 more reviews...
 The Geen Beret - The Best July 27, 2008
Jacquelyn K. Cook (Fort Myers, Florida)
I have seen this movie several times throughout my life. It is a wonderful picture with emotions from the war and it always brings back my childhood since my Dad was in the military and was in Vietnam.
A Rugged History Lesson July 12, 2008
John C. Sullivan (Syracuse, New York)
John Wayne stays true to form in this early view of the Viet Nam War. Full of action and intrigue as it takes a look at the Green Berets in battle.At the time John Wayne made this motion picture, The Viet Nam War was controversial and the critics numbered many. John Wayne took on the critics and the task of portraying an unpopular war in our nation's history. This movie is for those fans who love John Wayne in the thick of battle.
 Wayne's War May 20, 2008
L. Cabos (planet earth)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
John Wayne's answer to the anti-war movement was, for a good many years, the only film about Vietnam. It's easy for people to knock this movie or the war itself -- and anyone who thinks the people of South Vietnam are better off under a communist dictatorship than the government they had, then we have nothing to talk about. Actually this was made before she became "Hanoi Jane" -- a tag which follow her to the grave, GREEN BERETS is basically a WWII movie set in Vietnam. It has moments. Also starring David Jansen, Aldo Ray, Jim Hutton, Jason Evers, Bruce Cabot and Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei.
 The Green Berets April 12, 2008
Michael L. Smith (Memphis TN)
Whoever produced this DVD recorded only 1/3 of the movie. I only get to watch 1/3 of the movie before it goes blank. I do not know what happened to the other 2/3s. Amazon should not be selling this DVD. I threw away $11.99 plus shipping. Do not purchase this DVD.
 A boost to LBJ and Nixon. March 2, 2008
Patrick W. Crabtree (Lucasville, OH USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Here we get a simplistic view of a very complex war. We didn't know in 1968, when this film was released and when the action for American soldiers in Vietnam was very hot indeed, that it would be a full seven years before this political morass of a conflict would be ultimately ended and that the Americans would lose the war. In fact, in '68, the idea that we could possibly lose the Vietnam War probably didn't even occur to the average American.
I said all that to lay the proper groundwork for the film. This is clearly a pro-war movie and it has suffered significant critical review (especially in retrospect) as a result. Hollywood drew upon their biggest gun, John Wayne, for the role of the tough and heroic Colonel Mike Kirby who ultimately "wins the battle" -- even Hollywood anticipated the risk of going out any further on a limb than this, given that they were no doubt more clearly apprised of the otherwise little-known actualities of America's lack of direction and progress in Vietnam.
The story itself is a simple one: American soldiers are trying their best to crush the purveyors of horrific Communism and thus save the vulnerable South Vietnamese people from eternal, unfathomable atrocities which were generally associated with the North Vietnamese rulers and Vietcong soldiers during this time period. This Herculean task was to be accomplished, in this case, through superior tactics, by the employment of superior American weaponry, and, through the patriotic intestinal fortitude of John Wayne's sterling leadership. Of course, this microcosm of the war was allegedly representative of what we were supposedly doing all over South Vietnam.
What you will NOT see in this film, which most later movies exploited, is drug use by American soldiers, prostitution for the troops offered by Vietnamese women who were trying to survive their circumstances, or any of the other common, supplementary, and graphic appurtenances to the typical lengthy war. Other than Jim Hutton's little humorous Black Market escapades, it's mostly shooting and body counts. Here, the viewer can expect a very straightforward presentation of battle, tenoned with the occasional swatch of personal anguish.
"The Green Berets" is the antithesis to the more self-loathing, later-period, movies like "Apocalypse Now," (1979) and "The Deer Hunter," (1978). And it's probably accurate to say that each of these three flicks were reflective of the American public's general sentiment (in hindsight of Vietnam, regarding the latter two) at the time of their respective releases. I feel certain that both LBJ and Nixon would have wished for the production of a lot more movies like "The Green Berets".
I based my 3-star rating on my view of the film AFTER having separated it from period politics. It's well-done in terms of cinematography, is supported by a quality filmscore (composed and effected by Miklos Rozsa), bulging with notable stars of the era (Jim Hutton, Mike Henry, Jack Soo), albeit I've never been a huge fan of David Janssen. I've always been turned off by his eternal despondence and grimness throughout his film career, ergo "The Fugitive" television series. In the end, one can't escape the propaganda feel of this film. Even at the time of its initial release I recall thinking that it was pretty stiff, and wreaking somewhat of Ozzie and Harriet-ness.
"The Green Berets" was filmed at Fort Benning, Georgia and if you look closely, you can spot that they utilized caucasians as some of the Vietcong soldiers. I do think that it was a fine performance by John Wayne, even though I'm not exactly rabid on The Duke as some folks are. Still, one cannot deny that he was perfect in the role. The film was co-directed by Ray Kellogg, John Wayne, and Mervyn LeRoy, the latter being uncredited.
To summarize, I still enjoy seeing this film occasionally but about the only accurate part of it was the portrayal of the media's rising cynicism in regard to our continuing role in Vietnam.
|
|
|
