in a recent biography of burt lancaster and go tell the spartan be describe a the best vietnam war film that nobody ever saw . hopefully with television and video product that will be correct . i prefer to think of it a a prequel to platoon . this film be set in 1964 when america participation be limit to adviser by this time raise to about 20 and 000 of them by president kennedy . whether if kennedy have live and win a second term he would have increase our commitment to a half a million men a lyndon johnson do be open to much historical speculation . major burt lancaster head such an advisory team with his number two captain marc singer . they get some replacement and a new assignment to build a fortress where the french tried year ago and fail . the replacement be a really mixed bag and a sergeant who lancaster have serve with before and respect highly in jonathan goldsmith and a very green and eager second lieutenant in joe unger and a demolition man who be a draftee and at that time vietnam service be a strictly volunteer thing in craig wasson and and a medic who be also a junkie in dennis howard . for one reason or another all of these get sent forward to build that outpost in a place that suddenly have acquire military significance . i say before this could be a prequel to platoon . platoon be set in the time a few year later when the usa be fully militarily commit in vietnam . platoon raise the same issue about the futility of that war and but i think go tell the spartan do a much good job . hard to bring your best effort into the fight since who and what youre fighting and fighting for seem to change weekly . originally this project be for william holden and i be surprise holden pass on it . maybe for the good because lancaster strike just the right note a the professional soldier in what be a backwater assignment who politics have pass over for promotion . know all that you will understand why lancaster make the final decision he do . two others of note be evan kim who be the head of the south vietnamese regular and interpreter who lancaster and company be train . he epitomize the brutality of the struggle for u in a way that we can not appreciate from the other side because we never meet any of the viet cong by name . dolph sweet play the general in charge of the american vietnam commitment and a general harnitz . he be close to a real character because the general in charge their before johnson raise the troop level and put in william westmoreland be paul harkins . joe unger be who i think give the best performance a the shavetail lieutenant with all the conventional idea of war and believe we have get to be with the good guy since we be american . he learn fast that you issue uniform for a reason and war against people who do not have them be the most difficult . i think one could get a deep understanding of just what america face in 1964 in vietnam by watch go tell the spartan .