Reactions to the Vietnam War

Born on the Fourth of July 

Released in 1989, Born on the Fourth of July follows a teenager (Tom Cruise) who fights as a marine in the Vietnam War after always dreaming about serving his country and partaking in the Vietnam conflict.
After being injured, he is left in a wheelchair and struggles to adapt to normal life. He becomes an anti-war political activist and tries to speak out for his human rights which he feels he was deprived of.

This film is important in representing the Vietnam War as it not only shows how fighting in the Vietnam War was presented to the public with it being shown as heroic and something you should do if you love America, but it also shows the reality of being involved in the conflict and how soldiers suffered with the consequences of the war after they fought, having to adjust to illnesses and impediments.

Like many other films of this time, it shows the Vietnam War in a negative light, stating that soldiers were mistreated and not properly looked out for. This can be seen in the sheer number of Missing in Action soldiers that were abandoned and left either dead or as live prisoners after this conflict.

There is still much controversy around the treatment of soldiers during the Vietnam War but this film definitely presents the negative view that Vietnam ruined many Americans lives and was a complete disaster.


Below is the trailer for Born on the Fourth of July

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096969/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwNNUVbdfzI