Rent Hamburger Hill for FREE
+70,000 other titles and counting
- Thousands of movies and TV series to watch instantly
- NO late fees or long term contracts - cancel anytime
- FREE first class post for Britain’s largest range of DVDs, Blu-rays & Games

Because Hamburger Hill was released less than a year after Oliver Stone's Platoon and within months of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, this exceptionally well-made film about one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War was largely overshadowed and overlooked. It's a pity, because in some respects this is the best of .. Read more
| Starring | Anthony Barrile, Tim Quill, Michael Dolan, Don James |
|---|---|
| Director | John Irvin |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Drama |
loading...
Because Hamburger Hill was released less than a year after Oliver Stone's Platoon and within months of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, this exceptionally well-made film about one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War was largely overshadowed and overlooked. It's a pity, because in some respects this is the best of the Vietnam films of the late 1980s, at least in terms of the everyday authenticity it depicts. Stripped clean of dramatically extraneous narrative, the movie opts instead for a straightforward approach to its day-by-day account of one of the war's costliest victories--a deadly siege on Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley, where soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy over the course of 11 brutal assaults between May 10 and May 20, 1969. The film specifically follows the 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, a mixture of "new guys" and battle-weary "short-timers" who fought against terrifying odds and suffered a 70 per cent casualty rate. From first scene to last, Hamburger Hill traces the rise and fall of their battle experience, from the horror of fire-fights to the camaraderie of men who've faced death and survived. Racial tensions flare and subside, trusts are established and courage emerges from unexpected places. Through it all, writer Jim Carabatsos and director John Irvin maintain a purity of focus that pays tribute to the soldier's life without promoting false patriotism or gung-ho theatrics. In addition, the film features a cast full of talented and well-known actors in the early stages of their careers, including Dylan McDermott and Don Cheadle (Devil in a Blue Dress, Boogie Nights). Colour accuracy, image clarity and the explosive soundtrack have been remarkably preserved in a flawless DVD transfer, lending even greater immediacy to this underrated film. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
| Starring | Anthony Barrile, Tim Quill, Michael Dolan, Don James, Don Cheadle, Dylan McDermott, Daniel O'Shea, Steven Weber |
|---|---|
| Director | John Irvin |
| Studio | LIONSGATE |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 45 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 49 mins LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 49 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Drama |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English LOVEFiLM Instant: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: None |
| Released | Production year: 1987 On LOVEFiLM Instant: LOVEFiLM Instant: 13 Jul 2009 To Rent: DVD: 23 Jul 2001 Blu-ray: 07 Dec 2009 |
| LOVEFiLM Instant | £2.49 |
"...[Not since APOCALYPSE NOW] has there been spectacle to equal the scenes showing the dropping of phosphorous bombs in the jungle....Vance is particularly fine..."
- 14
- 2
Disappointing
Not in the same league as Platoon or Apocalypse Now. I found the acting quite wooden and the characters were not particularly realistic. Didn't capture the ... read more »
- 0
- 0
Good Vietnam flick.
Love this film and I really feel this is a very under rated Vietnam flick....maybe in a similar way to how overlooked Donnie Brasco is in terms the way its ... read more »
- 0
- 0
Defiantly one of the most underrated war films out there!
Watched this film last night, very impressed by the FX, cinematography and realness of the scenery, quite an achievement considering this was many of the actors... read more »
- 0
- 4
Very boring, and a waste of my time.
This film was very disapointing, very poor story.
Its the 1st war film that I've watched and you hardly see the enemy, very weird.
The... read more »