![]() Hills all around, it's often cloudy and Vietminh troops keep until the end hidden by their camouflage strategy.Nguyen Giap opted for an intense, moving and steady mortar bombing, backed by supplies and troops supported by China.Instead of a fierce battle were the tactics of the french general could had been superior. The Vietminh artillery made landing impossible, the place was isolated and only parachutist support is possible. So it's easy to feel close to the guys on the battlefield.Some Thai volunteers are shown, alongside Vietnamese, African troops, paratroopers, legionnaire, regular infantry, etc.Quite realistic photography and not like "in the movies". What caught first my attention in this movie is that if you were serving in the army, it puts you right from the beginning in the atmosphere of a regular soldier spending time in maneuver and camp exercises.Guys on the field, some artillery, some air force, and some shouting in the background.Nothing spectacular, absolutely no epic, just like you're back in the military.At a certain point mortars fire is increasing, and shouting escalating, and that's the start of the battle.And you are in the mud, bleeding bodies and dead around you.It's just slightly over the level of raw documentary. Simpson, was an US correspondent in Indochina and wrote an interesting book: "Dien Bien Phu: The Epic Battle America Forgot", worth to read.Schoendorffer was prisoner after the battle and sent to Vietminh concentration camps where he survived after another cameraman from the Red Army meet him.He is the narrator's voice. The director, Schoendorffer, was an army cameraman sent to Dien Bien Phu, and one of the characters, Howard R. This movie needs some background knowledge of the colonial European history, mainly the french one, to be fully appreciated. This one however just does not make the cut. I wanted very much to like this film, as I was impressed with the director's other two Vietnam films, THE 317th PLATOON and THE ANDERSON PLATOON. The pace of the film though is just too slow, the jumping back and forth between the battle and back area of Hanoi, just does not work. The look of the film is quite good with excellent use of period detail and weapons involved. Said establishments are doing a box office business with wagers on when the French garrison will fall. The man, Donald Pleasance, seems to spend most of his time drinking and checking out the local gambling establishments. There is also a minor side plot with an American newspaper man doing a story on the battle. Air support can only do so much and the French positions fall one after the other. Several thousand troops are soon trapped after the Reds overrun the surrounding hills. ![]() The French Government is not willing to expend any more resources. ![]() We follow their exploits during the final month of the battle. The film follows several officers of the French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment. The war raged on till 1954 and the Viet victory at the battle of Diem Bien Phu. The French fought back not realizing the drain on men and material that a war weakened France could tolerate. ![]() ![]() The Communist crowd were not happy with this idea, and started an ever-growing campaign against the French. The French had been battling the Vietminh since they reclaimed Indochina after World War Two. Director Schendorffer was an army cameraman at the actual battle of Dien Bien Phu. DIEN BIEN PHU 1992 This is French director, Pierre Schoendorffer's third film on various battles in Vietnam. ![]()
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