to anyone who have study vietnam and go tell the spartan portray it quite accurately . from the weapon of the era and the general disdain of some officer over our involvement and to the psychological effect on the soldier themselves and this movie succeed in each department . burt lancaster do an excellent job of portray the hard boil major barker and and be back by a fine cast . all the facet of the soldier be portray and though often through amplify stereotype and give the viewer a feel for what make the soldier tick . drug use and libido and cowardess and heroism and concern and hatred and each of these trait find themselves embody in one of the character . this isn not a feel good film and but it do provide a few chuckle here and there . and although it doesn not come close to inform the viewer about what vietnam be like and it try admirably .