It's a real pity that the last time Australia made any attempt to tell our own story about our involvement in Vietnam (Apart from a meandering doco or two) was this. A made for television mini-series, which, obviously by that very nature could not really deal with anything underneath the surface. Even with the entire bunch of episodes, it came across as overly dramatised "Hero" worship, with a heap of ridiculous lovey-dovey crap thrown in to satisfy the female viewer. It's 20 years old, this series, and the nation STILL hasn't given the diggers their REAL story. Where is our story? Does anyone actually care about what the diggers are going through now? What has this Country got to show for what they dealt with, and STILL deal with today. I think it's an outrage that this was the last attempt of only TWO dramatised stories to reach the Australian public.
Having said all that, there were "Moments" of the mini-series that were quite well done and poignantly told, particularly the third episode, and parts of the fourth, and if only the series kept that consistency it may have redeemed itself for the more irritable, bums on seats, completely unrealistic nonsense. If the Mini-series has anything decent about it, it is these moments. Sadly, after such great story telling, for me, it spins totally out of control and moves into waters that can only be described as sensational nonsense.
I gave the series a 5 simply because any attempt at telling our story is worthy, even if it does fall flat over all. Also, because as an information starved 14 year old kid, this was all I could watch apart from 'The odd angry shot' to give me an insight into our involvement. I have since made a documentary myself, and about to finish a feature screenplay on the subject, based on REAL stories, and keeping TRUE to that realism. Not bending to a "Popular" pulpy myth which this mini-series unfortunately adds to. If you haven't already discovered, I'm quite passionate about this subject, so I am extremely hard on anything that doesn't explore it in depth and with respect. I do not believe the Australian soldiers' story was treated with knowledge and respect in the 'Vietnam' mini-series and it is time to get it right.
Having said all that, there were "Moments" of the mini-series that were quite well done and poignantly told, particularly the third episode, and parts of the fourth, and if only the series kept that consistency it may have redeemed itself for the more irritable, bums on seats, completely unrealistic nonsense. If the Mini-series has anything decent about it, it is these moments. Sadly, after such great story telling, for me, it spins totally out of control and moves into waters that can only be described as sensational nonsense.
I gave the series a 5 simply because any attempt at telling our story is worthy, even if it does fall flat over all. Also, because as an information starved 14 year old kid, this was all I could watch apart from 'The odd angry shot' to give me an insight into our involvement. I have since made a documentary myself, and about to finish a feature screenplay on the subject, based on REAL stories, and keeping TRUE to that realism. Not bending to a "Popular" pulpy myth which this mini-series unfortunately adds to. If you haven't already discovered, I'm quite passionate about this subject, so I am extremely hard on anything that doesn't explore it in depth and with respect. I do not believe the Australian soldiers' story was treated with knowledge and respect in the 'Vietnam' mini-series and it is time to get it right.