Black vietnam film doesn't fit the bill

By NANETTE BITTING
and LARA HYDE
Collegian Arts Writers

As the credits of the latest Vietnam movie, The Walking Dead begin to roll, the theater empties and comments, such as "It's just like the other war movies," are heard.

The Walking Dead is billed as the first movie to depict the black experience in Vietnam, but some viewers did not think it lived up to its potential.

"I thought it would be different," said Aaron Zibelman (freshman-finance and international business.) "It didn't really make any statement about blacks in Vietnam. If it's making a statement, it is not making it that clearly."

Not only has the movie been criticized for its poor portrayal of the black experience but also for lacking an accurate representation of the overall Vietnam experience.

Stew Koontz, a Vietnam veteran who served with the 75th Army Rangers Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, said he will not see the movie because of criticism he heard from other veterans.

"It's really hokey," said Koontz, commander of the Vietnam Veterans Post. "It takes 10 years of Vietnam and puts it in an hour and a half."

"It's derogatory towards blacks. It makes them look bad," he said, based on what he had heard from other veterans who had viewed the film. He has been following criticism of the movie through an internet discussion group on Vietnam that has called the film exploitative.

The Walking Dead is not the only movie accused of distorting the Vietnam realism it promised. Many Vietnam movies were criticized for exploiting violent war acts and taking emphasis away from the people and the real-life events that took place.

"Some of it is true," Sgt. Maj. Gary Fortunato said. "You have to be able to separate what is depicted in the movies and what is realistic."

Fortunato served with the 5th Mechanical Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division during the Vietnam War. He said many Vietnam movies create a dark and sinister feeling that is often inaccurate.

"I would say only in plot was that true. You have to remember the time and the event. Not too many people make movies about the other things that happen, like soldiers adopting the orphans. They go right to the battles because it sells," said Fortunato, who works with the University's Army ROTC.

Koontz also discussed how Vietnam movies tend to cast the war in a negative light.

"One thing you're doing within a movie is make-believe," Koontz said. "A lot of us went and did our job and had fun doing it."

He added that he served two tours voluntarily.

While Hollywood may portray Vietnam in a somber light, Fortunato said the movies do have some truth, but the question is how true is it to the actual event. Fortunato offered Full Metal Jacket as a movie that more realistically portrayed that time.

"It builds the story around the characters and not the characters around the story," Fortunato said.

Koontz also said some good movies have been made, citing Platoon for its realistic fire fights and chaotic battle sequences. Veterans are somewhat discerning viewers, he said, citing Oliver Stone's exploitation of the war as one reason he will not see Born on the Fourth of July.

"I detest exploiters," Koontz added.

Fortunato suggested that the majority of Vietnam movies have not yet been made. The war took quite a toll on each side and the people telling these stories had a lot to resolve, he said, adding that they are just starting to tell their story.

Fortunato and Koontz both prefer nonfictional written accounts to Hollywood's glorified Vietnam stories.

"The trouble today, especially today, is (the younger generation) see these movies and they think that's the way it was," Koontz said. "If people want to find out about Vietnam they should read books."