University of South Carolina Libraries
Features 4 THE GAMECOCK Friday, September 4, 1987 N othing Review By PA I Kit K JKAIN Staff writer The advertisements for Hamburger Hill say it's "war at its worst; men at their best," and makes it sound like an overblown, overemphasized film about the Vietnam War offering violence aplenty but little insight. Bingo. Hamburger Hill, the latest in a series of "realistic" films about the United States' most controversial war, does nothing to heal old wounds or help non-combatants understand the gore and madness that occurred there. The cast is respectable; the script is not. One of the film's main problems is its slow pacing. The plot deals with an American battalion's efforts to LISTEN TO . . . iiviicricM vvu jv-r n I THE GAMECOCK THE GAMECOCK in the xtudent newspaper of the University of South Carolina and id published three Omen a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the fall and spring semestci.. and weekly on Wednesdays during both summer *essionH, with the exception of university holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in THE GAMECOCK are those of the editors and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Hoard of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of THE GAMECOCK. The Student Media Departmpn! it* fh<? nar<>nt nrcniiirntinn nf THE GAMECOCK. Change of address forniH, subscription requests and other correspondence should be sent to THE GAMECOCK, Drawer A, Cniversity of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. 29208. Subscription rates are $18.00 for (1) year, $8.00 per fall or spring semester and $3.00 for both summer (tensions. Third class postage paid at Columbia, S.C. THE GAMECOCK is a licensed student organization of the University of South Carolina and receives funding from student activity fees. I'm gon (C C bdc ^ If I new abc take a hill deep in the Vietnamese jungle in 1969, but the movie plods along for an hour before it gets there. If there were some meaningful Nuueuiciiib ituuvu wit: wai tiiiu us fighters in that hour, things would be fine. There aren't. The script is another major problem. Soldiers tell each other what the war is doing to them and what they remember back home, but their conversations don't seem realistic. There's also no subtle humor or suspenseful action, both of which arc usually required to make a film entertaining. The war's violence isn't even portrayed properly. Shootings and deaths arc expected, but a few extremely gory scenes arc thrown in for no reason other than shock value. Students With IDs 2 For 1 September Onlyl Nightly 7 & 9 Sal 2 4-6-8-10 13 For Stufenta At Sun 2 4 6 8 AH Timta i AF\X\i/rTf m need so, with these! ill* 1 ^ ?? "* *) Jl : you'd like to work wi Garnet & Black Yearb we need your help me to our meeting Wed pt. 9th at 6:00 p.m. Roc Russell House. No previous yearboo experience necessary but preferred. %A >ut Vietn One soldier, for example, struggles to hold in his bowels after they're blown open by a bomb. Another gets his face shot off, but that's probably octtcr than the Viet Cong soldier who gets his head shot off. By the way, that Vietnamese opponent is the first one actually seen onscreen ? after the film is more I ROOM REFRICEI I $30.00 pe 3.2 cub USC Housi Contact youR Area I *f* r* A nai $ m-mro Serologicals, Inc. is ir I Earn up to $160.00 per week of your time Call for more inform? ^ QP 2719C Serologicals I me heto f I 3 c 71 c , ^ ... ^ th the ook nesday >m 316 k tain in '] than an hour old. Talk about the "unseen enemy." Hamburger Hill keeps aspiring to symbolic greatness, but it never gets there. Only a few scenes work, including one where a flurry of helicopters fly the troops into the battle. The sky steams; smoke swirls; the platoon's members mournfully iook at one anoincr wnue i ne RATORS for RENT ir semester ic ft. size ing Services MANAqER TO RENT ONE Inotl $ i need of B type blood, per month for 3 hours r~ -. i : I i 3. earn wrwe you i?arn. ation. olofiicals. Inc. Middleburg Dr. Suite 105 olumbia, S.C. 29204 254-6537 PAPAL VISI All students who will September 11, will be i 1 new white USC I.D. Ca The Horseshoe visit wil j Only those members o Validation Sticker on tlTo have your studer li nresent vour new whit r / ssssssssssssssssssssss FRIDAY, SEP i 8:30 AM-5:00 P TUESDAY. Si I 8:30 AM-5:00 F ; WEDNESDAY I 8:30 AM-5:00 I THURSDAY, 8:30 AM-5:00 I On Friday, Septemt validated I.D. card 1 of the Horseshoe), will close at 3:00 scheduled to arrive I If you do not have a strip on back), you r be made at Petigru 11 I Hamburg Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of this i Place" plays in the background. 1 Once the battle ? a fierce 10-day struggle between the Americans and the Vietnamese to claim a muddy hill ? begins, the film begins to pick up. It actually becomes halfway interesting and entertaining, but by then, it s too late. There have been too many wasted scenes and too much stupid dialogue along the way to save face. Jim Carabatsos' script should provide a new exploration into the horrors of the war and the men who were changed by their Vietnam experiences. Its violence should evoke horror, and its theme should give a new understanding of what happened over there. It doesn't. The script never rises above the stereotypical Hollywood treatment of Vietnam. Black soldiers play soul music and complain about repression. Young soldiers talk about their girlfriends and parents back home. Sergeants are given pseudo CAROLINA'S TOTAL EN :i COMPLE) INCLUDING THE ROCK A R !; Sm. - Teen Night ;; - Monday Night Football 2 V ; > Screen TV's FRff Pizza ;; And Chili Dogs With Admk j: Tu?t. - 25* Draft 25* Wine <! Amateur Burlesque Night j > Grand Prlze-1987 KYUMOAI !! Wd. - Fkti Tim Ev* Uiy ? Potw AMt | ! SWH?w 8:J0 ;; T)*ri. - Roundlll Xanadu & C-103 !; Act You Would Do?" ![ Weekly Winners $103?G FrU? ? - $ 1.00 Cover for Ev< ! 1 $1.00 Bar Brands, Beer S j; WU.- SurWfy - Rock With FREE Rl <! In Our Rock & Roll Empor < I ! ' > ;; Him Hmt - MM.TWI. 4:WKH? ;? Ftm Mhn - <:w-?oo | > Pnf? Dr?tt, 1.0. ' ? A k. - r STUDENT ID > enter the Horseshoe for the required to hove a Papal Visit \ rd. I be open only to USC students f the Carolina family who hav< ^eir I.D. cardswill be allowed 01 it I.D. card validated with e USC I.D. at the following locc TEMBER 4 M Russell House :f I trvsotK d >M Russell House SEPTEMBER 9 =>AA Russell House SEPTEMBER 10 PM Russell House >er 11, all students, faculty, a 1- 1 A I II I 11 fo eruer me norsesnoe near /vm rhe Horseshoe will open at ap PM prior to the Pope's arriv on the Horseshoe at about 5:0C new I.D. card (white card with r nust have your new I.D. card m begnning Tuesday Septembei jer Hill' meaningful lines such as, "They don't have to agree with it. They just have to show up." Blah. The cast of young unknowns 0 tfj manages to hold its own, but no one steals the show. Only Courtney Vance is impressive as Doc; in fact, he could earn a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Dylon McDermott also shows some flair as Frantz. The rest of the cast is OK, but, like the film, they arc quickly forgettable. Platoon was conventional, but it provided a deeply personal and realistic view of the Vietnam War. Full Metal Jacket was less predictable, but it served as an artistic allegory for the meaninglessness of war. Hamburger Hill has these two tough acts to follow, and doesn't succeed. It should work to heal the old A psychological wounds; instead, it re- ^ ^ nntnc them. Its scriot is bland; its characters are weak; it's missing what is needed most in a war film ? heart. m~ !! ? All < , TERTAINMENT J; < j; !0U EMPORIUM <! Vide !! < i islon. '; Q { <! < > < i <? <? 11 1 > 1 > ?> < i 1! <? i "What Is The Most Outrageous ! | 1? ' > irand Prize $2000 Cash j! sryone From 8-10 ;! I Wine From 8-10 j j lUt < . <? lum !; ? < > C*mi U XtmM i Uftttki Otmtntm fu St*t? Of TV* Art J [ VUM Oiimi, S f*?l T?U*I, * < fw t r?w MmUm im UitLrti i * ? ff*PT7 v**" | A >, | ?#?#???????##?*????????#?###?#?^ VALIDATION Papal Visit on Friday, /alidation Sticker on the , faculty, and staff. e the special Papal Visit the Horseshoe. )1 the Papal Visit Sticker ations: * B6866S8SS86S9e6SSS8S888fit 2nd floor Lobby j 2nd floor Lobby | [j II ) 2nd floor Lobby 2nd floor Lobby t 10) lew bar code and magnetic [ ade. Student I.D. cards will - 8. J I III IIP I1M? III ilTIWll ?HIM Mill HI I.H idB A