Hamburger Hill (1987)

hamburger hill 1987

Hamburger Hill is an American motion picture, directed by John Irvin and released in 1987. It stars Anthony Barrile as Private First Class ‘Alphabet’ Languilli, Don Cheadle as Private First Class David Washburn, Dylan McDermott as Sergeant Adam Frantz and Michael Boatman as Specialist Ray Motown.

Hamburger Hill depicts the US Army attack on North Vietnamese Army (NVA) positions in the Ap Bai Mountains in May 1969. This engagement, later dubbed the Battle of Hamburger Hill, was controversial for its low strategic value and its heavy American losses. News of the costly attack on Hamburger Hill triggered debate in the US Congress and contributed to a decline in public support for the war in Vietnam. Irvin’s film is a cinematic account of the battle, though his characters are all fictional.

After a vignette showing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, Hamburger Hill flashes back to 1969, where members of the 101st Airborne Division are deployed in Vietnam. After taking heavy casualties one platoon receives five ‘cherries’ or ‘FNG’s (“f–king new guys”) and begins preparing them for combat.

Their battalion is sent to capture Hill 937 from the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), however rather than forcing the NVA to retreat, as anticipated, the Americans find the enemy dug in and defending their position. The US attack on Hill 937 becomes a prolonged battle involving trenches and bunkers, air strikes, napalm and a series of costly assaults. The Americans sustain heavy losses but capture the hill after 10 days.

Hamburger Hill is largely focused on the nature of warfare in Vietnam. Unlike Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, which were released around the same time, Hamburger Hill lacks a grand narrative or central character. Instead, the soldiers’ shared experiences of war and the battle for Hill 937 serve as the narrative.

Hamburger Hill is told only from the perspective of American soldiers: it does not explore Vietnamese experiences or perspectives, the background or political context, or other views of the war. Its focus is fixed on one American unit as it prepares for combat and goes into battle.

Hamburger Hill does hint at some of the issues affecting serving personnel in Vietnam. There is tension and perceived discrimination between black and white soldiers – but this is counterbalanced by the trust and camaraderie they show under fire. In discussion, the characters reveal their hatred of ‘draft dodgers’ and the anti-war movement back home.


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