The story of Ron Kovic is not a pretty one.

Kovic was a gung ho, Yankee Doodle boy, ready to fight --and die if necessary -- on Vietnam soil.

Leave it to Platoon director Oliver Stone to bring Born on the Fourth of July, yet another Vietnam tale to the screen.

That fact is not terribly surprising, however. What does turn the head of the moviegoer is the appearance of pseudo-actor Tom Cruise in the leading role. Even more astounding than Cruise's casting as Kovic is his performance. For Cruise, it was a superhuman effort.

Cruise shows that indeed the old adage, "the role makes the actor," is perhaps accurate. People can quibble and declare Cruise came into his own in Rainman, but here there is no Dustin Hoffman to accentuate the performance. Cruise manages to impress with his first dramatic lead.

To dwell on Cruise is completely necessary, as he is the best thing in a fairly unsettling film.

Cruise plays idealist-turned-protestor Kovic, who thought war would be like the backyard games he played as a child. Tragically, the games men play are much more harsh -- and real. Kovic returns from Southeast Asia paralyzed from the chest down.

What is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the film is Stone's direction. Born almost approaches spectacle with its open treatment of unpleasant events. Graphic scenes often turn the stomach; upsetting scenes are not confined to the battlefield.

Probably the most disturbing scenes occur during Kovic's time in a Bronx Veteran's Hospital. This hospital is given the name simply for convenience, as it is more suited to car mechanics than doctors. Stone gives glimpses of drug abuse, rats on the floors and dingy, unsanitary equipment.

Throughout, Stone uses techniques to enhance the picture's overall realism. During battle scenes -- just as he did in Platoon -- he uses jerky, quick motions with the camera to indicate confusion.

To emphasize Kovic's ignorance and innocence during childhood, Stone uses slow motion and bright lighting; the scenes are during summer recalls the freedom associated with childhood.

However, Stone is not perfect. At times the film becomes predictable since he continually uses fade-outs to separate important moments. This technique reduces the story to acts.

Fundamentally, Born works because it is a personal story. Written by Stone and Ron Kovic, the film reduces the Vietnam story to a flesh and blood person with whom one can identify.

Dealing with war's effect on a single person is not new --Michael Cimino did it with The Deer Hunter in 1978 -- but the fact that Ron Kovic is a real person increases the film's effectiveness.

Stone and Kovic try to provide a real sense for not only the war, but also the time in which Kovic lived. The film is almost like a retrospective in that way, providing the younger generation with a glimpse of the times they never saw and others a chance to reminisce.

But, thoughtful musing is not what Stone and Kovic want. They want faces to cringe with horror and stomachs to turn at the time's harshness. Although the film is predominantly about one man's personal experiences, it also the story of veterans in general and their struggle to re-enter society's mainstream.

It is easy to see why some Vietnam veterans feel they did not receive a proper homecoming. Stone seems to be visually chiding the society for its treatment.

Kovic comes home believing he is a hero, but soon finds many are against the war and have no compassion for the service he gave. It is this cold reception that changes his outlook.

Kovic's change in attitude seems to result from experiencing a war protest. He witnesses other veterans speak against the war and the police brutality inflicted on the protestors. One sincere gripe with the film is this revelation. One moment Kovic is fervently defending the war to his anti-war brother, the next he is himself wholly against the conflict.

However, the script provides no moment of revelation. There is no indication -- in words or actions -- that Kovic will change his views to something opposite.

The choice to accept this contradiction is an easy one; there is no other. The flaw reveals a lack of thought on the writers' part and reduces believability.

Despite this small inconsistency, the film shines with meaning and intensity. Even if one has trouble accepting Cruise or the relentless onslaught of Vietnam themes, Born on the Fourth of July is a moving, effective film.