Posted on 09/19/2002 10:23:35 PM PDT by HAL9000
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Vietnamese officials were meeting Friday to consider whether to punish an actor branded a "national traitor" for starring with Mel Gibson in the Hollywood movie "We Were Soldiers."Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, where actor Don Duong lives, proposed earlier that he be fined and banned from acting or leaving the country for five years for appearing in the movie, which they said distorted the history and image of Vietnamese soldiers.
Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Information were meeting Friday to consider the proposal, and will submit a recommendation to the ministry for a final decision, ministry Cinematic Department Director Nguyen Phuc Thanh said.
Vietnam's communist government has led a strident campaign against "We Were Soldiers" in the country's state-controlled media.
The movie, not approved for sale in Vietnam but widely available on bootleg DVDs, depicts a bloody three-day battle in November 1965 in Vietnam's Ia Drang valley, the first major clash between the North Vietnamese army and U.S. troops in the Vietnam War.
In the film, the U.S. troops have little idea of what they face and are overrun and suffer heavy casualties. Both sides are portrayed as courageous and self-sacrificing, while their families are shown grieving the deaths of their loved ones.
The movie is based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by the U.S. commander in the battle, retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore.
Duong played commander Nguyen Huu An, who led the Vietnamese soldiers to victory.
Duong, one of Vietnam's most popular actors, has appeared in numerous domestic movies about the war. He also played the role of a refugee camp translator in "Green Dragon," a movie directed by Vietnamese American Tony Linh Bui about Vietnamese who fled the country after the end of the war and dreamed of living in the United States.
"Both movies distort the legitimate war history of our people and the humanity of the Vietnamese," army newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) said in a front-page article Wednesday.
The newspaper demanded stern punishment for Duong.
"By becoming a propagandist and henchman for 'hostile forces' and tarnishing the Vietnamese soldiers and people, Don Duong has sold his conscience cheaply and become a national traitor," it said.
Duong couldn't be reached for comment, but in an earlier interview with The Associated Press, he said he was surprised at the reaction and has decided not to play any more roles in foreign movies about the Vietnam War.
Vietnamese movies about the war invariably portray Vietnamese soldiers as noble and Americans as cruel murderers.
Vietnam Brands War Film Actor 'National Traitor
Vietnamese officials considering punishment for actor in U.S. film
["We Were Soldiers"]
Kwilliams: "Sounds like the world of 1984..."
On the contrary, it sounds more like a student body tribunal from a present day American university. Vietnam just took university style political correctness to its logical conclusion.
Regards,
Boot Hill
I haven't seen the movie yet. It came and went through our theaters in a matter of about 3 weeks! We didn't get a chance to make plans to see it! I've put it on my Netflix list though!
The book mentions the ambush of the French on Hwy 51, was it? I guess it is good that it is shown to show the parallels between the fights.
I can't imagine why the NVs are bitching; the book's authors were very conciliatory toward their former enemies.
I love the smell of Associated Press's bias in the morning.Duong played commander Nguyen Huu An, who led the Vietnamese soldiers to victory.Did I miss that part of the movie? Or do they mean Pyrrhic victory?
patent +AMDG
The reaction to a respectfully well done depiction of a historic event by the losers isn't all too surprising.
It's apparent thy're still smarting over their loss.
The communists have a national pride & they're apparently not afraid to show it, or, enforce it.
Aside from the motion picture bugging 'em striking me a bit *odd*, I also couldn't help noticing one other thing.
The communist VN regime's entire -- totalitarian -- approach when compared to present day America, has more than a few stunning similarities.
...the irony of which leaves me speechless.
*Again*, Sarge??
I'm afraid lying's all The Associated Press does.
Well, does well, anyway.
"...And we wonder how HIILLARY RODHAM will become President of the United States in 2004...CARL LIMBACHER of...He just predicted her 2004 Election Victory over BUSH, no matter what he does, while guesting on Los Angeles Talk Radio just 6 days ago."
Yea well as of yet, anyway, in America everyone has the right to shoot-off their mouth.
As much as I respect Carl, here's where he & I part ways on this one prediction he makes.
Besides, I wouldn't believe it even if she does get the WH.
Call it a *classic* case of very, deep denial.
...& attribute it to (~an extreme case of) mental defect.
SHUDDER!!!
FGS
IF this nation continue's to permit the Liberal-Socialists to steadily move us Left we're looking at our immediate future.
Not that they cannot try; they can, alright ~& they know it, too.
This is America where we celebrate freedom & encourage all.
However, it is incumbant upon us to freely & voluntarily reject what it is they're trying to sell us; regardless of how it's "packaged" *or* what they "call" it.
The way to do that is simple, too.
Merely adhere to the letter of our constitution & we cannot go wrong.
The communist VN are merely a little further on down the line on the ideological continuum than our *own* brand of "Socialists" we witness here, stateside.
Our Liberal-Socialists think of themselves as, "Progressives" & masquerade under the name of "Democrats," is all.
Only a matter of time & evolution for us to become just like VN.
...unless we stop it, now
Aww gee, and I thought our Constitution was a living document ; ) The Dims and the media said so!!! You are of course absolutely right; our keepers would have us believe otherwise.
Have you seen The Left-Wing Billionaire Collectivist Pigs? An interesting essay on where the left is headed and why. Some of it is a stretch, but may otherwise be enligntening.
FGS
Commie bastards.
Vietnamese movies about the war invariably portray Vietnamese soldiers as noble and Americans as cruel murderers.
The above paragraph is an example of distorting the legitimate war history.
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