Vietnam War in Movies (Film)

The Vietnam War has been the subject of many films. One of the first major films based on the Vietnam War was John Wayne's The Green Berets (1968). Further cinematic representations were released during the 1970s and 1980s, including Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter (1978), Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986), based on his service in the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War, and Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987), among others.

Other films in this genre include films that deal more with the issues veterans face at home after returning from the war. Films of this type include Heroes (the first postwar film to be released), Combat Shock (1986), First Blood (1982), The War at Home (1979), Taxi Driver (1976) Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Dead Presidents (1995), and Music Within (2007).

Post-war films

After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, there was an increase in films that were more "raw", containing actual battle footage. A FilmReference.com article noted that filmmakers "appeared more confident to put Vietnam combat on screen for the first time" during that era. These post-war film representations have generally been more realistic and gritty, such as The Deer Hunter (1978) and Apocalypse Now (1979).

The musical Miss Saigon focuses on the end of the war and its aftermath. In cinema, noted films that have shaped the popular conception of the war include Apocalypse Now, Platoon, The Deer Hunter, Hamburger Hill, Forrest Gump, Full Metal Jacket, Good Morning, Vietnam, Born on the Fourth of July, and the Rambo films. It was represented on television by the series Tour of Duty.

List of Vietnam War Movies

Year Country Title Director Events depicted
1958 United States USA The Quiet American Joseph L. Mankiewicz First Indochina War
1959 North Vietnam North Vietnam Chung một dòng sông Nguyễn Hồng Nghi, Phạm Hiếu Dân About the partition of Vietnam following the Geneva Conference
1964 United States USA A Yank in Viet-Nam Marshall Thompson A USMC pilot is shot down, but meets a female guerrilla
1965 France
Spain
The 317th Platoon Pierre Schoendoerffer First Indochina War
1965 United States USA Motorpsycho Russ Meyer A US motorcycle gang is led by a disturbed vet
1966 United States USA To the Shores of Hell Will Zens
1968 United States USA The Green Berets John Wayne,
Ray Kellogg

1971 South Vietnam South Vietnam Người tình không chân dung Hoàng Vĩnh Lộc
1972 North Vietnam North Vietnam Vĩ tuyến 17 ngày và đêm Hải Ninh
1974 North Vietnam North Vietnam Em bé Hà Nội Hải Ninh Operation Linebacker II
1977 United States USA Heroes Jeremy Kagan Veteran
1977 Hong Kong
United States USA
The Boys in Company C Sidney J. Furie
1978 United States USA Coming Home Hal Ashby Disabled veteran
1978 United States USA
United Kingdom UK
The Deer Hunter Michael Cimino
1978 United States USA Go Tell the Spartans Ted Post
1978 United States USA My Husband is Missing Richard Michaels
1979 United States USA Apocalypse Now Francis Ford Coppola A special forces officer is called in to locate and kill a special forces colonel who has allegedly gone insane.
1979 Vietnam Vietnam Cánh đồng hoang Nguyễn Hồng Sến American bombing
1979 Australia Australia The Odd Angry Shot Tom Jeffrey
1980 United States USA The Exterminator James Glickenhaus
1980 Italy The Last Hunter Antonio Margheriti
1981 United Kingdom UK How Sleep the Brave Lyndon James Swift
1982 United States USA First Blood Ted Kotcheff
1982 Hong Kong Hong Kong Boat People Ann Hui The Fall of Saigon and its aftermath
1982 Vietnam Vietnam Ván bài lật ngửa Lê Hoàng Hoa Biopic of the North Vietnamese spy Pham Ngoc Thao
1983 United States USA Uncommon Valor Ted Kotcheff
1984 United Kingdom UK The Killing Fields Roland Joffé
1984 United States USA Missing in Action Joseph Zito
1985 United States USA Missing in Action 2: The Beginning Lance Hool
1985 Vietnam
USSR
Koordinaty smerti
(Target for Death)
Samvel Gasparov,
Suan Tian Nguyen

1986 United States USA Combat Shock Buddy Giovinazzo
1986 United Kingdom UK
United States USA
Platoon Oliver Stone A new recruit's service in a platoon of soldiers patrolling the Cambodian border
1987 United Kingdom UK
United States USA
Full Metal Jacket Stanley Kubrick Battle of Hue
1987 United States USA Good Morning, Vietnam Barry Levinson
1987 United States USA Hamburger Hill John Irvin The battle for Hill 937 in Ashau Valley
1987 United States USA The Hanoi Hilton Lionel Chetwynd
1987 Italy
Philippines
Phantom Soldiers Irvin Johnson
1988 United States USA Bat*21 Peter Markle Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton's experience of survival while MIA
1988 United States USA Braddock: Missing in Action III Aaron Norris
1988 United States USA Platoon Leader Aaron Norris
1988 United States USA Off Limits Christopher Crowe
1988 United States USA Operation Warzone David A. Prior
1989 United States USA Jacknife David Jones
1989 United States USA Casualties of War Brian De Palma
1989 United States USA Born on the Fourth of July Oliver Stone Ron Kovic becomes paralysed during battle
1989 United States USA The Expendables Cirio H. Santiago
1989 United States USA 84C MoPic Patrick Sheane Duncan
1989 United States USA The Iron Triangle Eric Weston
1989 Australia Australia
Philippines
The Siege of Firebase Gloria Brian Trenchard-Smith
1990 United States USA Air America Roger Spottiswoode
1990 United States USA Jacob's Ladder Adrian Lyne
1990 People's Republic of China China Bullet in the Head John Woo
1991 United States USA Flight of the Intruder John Milius
1992 France Diên Biên Phu Pierre Schoendoerffer The 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu in the First Indochina War
1992 South Korea White Badge Jeong Ji-yeong
1992 South Korea White Badge Jeong Ji-yeong
1993 United States USA
France France
Heaven & Earth Oliver Stone
1994 United States USA Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis
1995 United States USA Operation Dumbo Drop Simon Wincer
1995 United States USA Dead Presidents Albert Hughes
1998 United States USA A Bright Shining Lie Terry George
2000 United States USA
Germany Germany
Tigerland Joel Schumacher
2001 Canada Canada
United States USA
Under Heavy Fire Sidney J. Furie
2002 United States USA
United Kingdom UK
Australia Australia
France France
Germany Germany
The Quiet American Phillip Noyce
2002 United States USA Path to War John Frankenheimer
2002 United States USA
Germany Germany
We Were Soldiers Randall Wallace Battle of Ia Drang
2003 Vietnam Vietnam Hà Nội 12 ngày đêm Bùi Đình Hạc Operation Linebacker II
2005 Vietnam Vietnam Sống trong sợ hãi (Living in Fear) Bùi Thạc Chuyên South Vietnamese soldier being mistreated by communist brother-in-law after the war
2006 United States USA
Canada Canada
The Veteran Sidney J. Furie
2006 United States USA Rescue Dawn Werner Herzog Dieter Dengler's experience as a POW
2007 Canada Canada
United States USA
Germany Germany
1968 Tunnel Rats Uwe Boll
2007 United States USA Across the Universe Julie Taymor
2007 United States USA Journey from the Fall Ham Tran
2008 United States USA Tropic Thunder Ben Stiller

Documentary of Vietnam War film list

Year Country Title Events depicted
1964? Canada Canada Mills of the Gods
1967 France The Anderson Platoon
1968 USA A Face of War
1969 United States USA In the Year of the Pig
1970 United States USA No Substitute for Victory Narrated by John Wayne
1974 United States USA Hearts and Minds
2004 United States USA In the Shadow of the Blade
2005 France Enemy Image