"Rupert Sanders to Direct Vietnam War Movie..." Topic

…. ‘The Things They Carried'.

"Rupert Sanders is set to direct the Vietnam War movie The Things They Carried, based on the acclaimed collection of linked short stories by Tim O'Brien, who drew on his own experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.

The Things They Carried follows a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. It was O'Brien's third book about the war, one he wrote in response to what he considered ignorance surrounding the war, and it wound up becoming a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. One of O'Brien's stories, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," was previously made into the 1998 film in A Soldier's Sweetheart starring Kiefer Sutherland…."
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

That's a very good book.

Hope we have luck with the movie… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The book I recall.

This posting makes me think just how "tasteful" is it to play games with miniature figures, in conflicts where those surviving did it for real……. No different from making profits from movies showing them as drug crazed baby killers….remember that was Hollywood, for two decades, the impression created.

Might just be me. Can you play a game of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, unless you have seen the human consequences? (I have, but only those that got back to UK mind you, plus not the ones whose wounds did not show)

This is a daft question. I once did try wargames. WWI. My attackers were massacred. So I went to WWII Airborne. I had the lot. Horsas, Wacos, Hamilcars, DC3s…same thing massacred every time.

Apologies. I now realise I am questioning the whole idea of a Vietnam Gaming forum…..I can only say that in the UK those who saw combat whether WWII, Korea, a dozen "Wars of Liberation", countless interventions since through Falklands, UN, NATO etc make me ask those who really served. I mean were shot at….is this a game scenario? I know it will be one day, but respect to those who…. What do you think?

Is it too soon? Far too soon? I still think that about Pearl Harbour as a game (forgive UK spelling)

I know some guys who say it's too soon.

I know other guys who don't have a problem gaming battles they were physically present for.

And that's not just Vietnam Vets, that's WW2, Korea, Cold War, and Iraq/Afghanistan vets.

For me it very much depends how you play the particular game.

Some people are going to be disturbed by the idea of 'wargaming' and having 'fun' with events that were traumatic for those involved.

This issue is as old as wargaming.

Wargames could educate and inform those playing about the events, which would be a good thing, or distort the history and misinform.

For me… playing a historical or modern game, I tend to view the game as a scenario or a what if…

I mean, sometimes one wonders if you had a better plan for something or would have a better grasp of how to bring a target down.

How many of us have gamed Pegasus Bridge? Or done our own Black Hawk Down scenario?
Brecort Manor of Band Of Brothers fame? (I know a few folks who have done this one to see how the hell Easy pulled this off…)

Sometimes, you just wanna see how stuff played out and if you could do better, luck and dice being equal.

For me, it's pretty much that. Can I get a better result than history (if the game is based on a historical battle)?

I along with a buddy played a holding action battle with a french force vs germans set in 1940 once. We was outgunned and out numbered…. but we had a solid plan of how to slow them down.

And our opponents, confident in their superior troops and gear… got embarrassed by how well we laid our traps and our plan of action. The Ref said at the end of the game that had what we done were the real result of the battle (apparently it was based on a real battle), the Germans would have been delayed by a few days minimum

Depending on how well the delaying tactics worked further up, of course, those delays would have stacked up.

I suppose the same question could be asked to those reading a book, watching a movie or television show regarding a (relatively) current event; same for the writer, director, or actor in said story.

How about watching the news on TV? Are people reading/viewing stories about grisly acts simply watching for the informational content or for entertainment? Is there a difference? I'm not sure.

I believe there are those who would rather forget such incidents and others who appreciate the interest taken in what they've experienced and done. I don't think it's disrespectful to acknowledge and study what others have lived through, rather than ignore it, if no offense is meant. My two cents.