Go Tell the Spartans – 1978 – Underrated Gem

Director: Ted Post 

Cast: Burt Lancaster. Craig Wasson. Marc Singer.

The French were defeated in 1954, and as a last act, Vietnam, over which they had ruled completely, was divided into two halves. With Hanoi as its capital, North Vietnam was Communist and wanted complete unification. With its capital in Saigon, South Vietnam was “democratic” – in name only – and followed the Capitalist system. The defeated French left the country, and into this power vacuum, the Americans stepped in. Soon the South Vietnamese asked for more and more help which the Americans gladly provided. After all, this was a proxy war with the giant bad Soviet Union. The US dispatched many “advisors” who advised the South Vietnamese Army on strategies and tactics and how to fight the enemy, who were indistinguishable from the local population. The primary strategy was to hold small outposts from which the South Vietnamese and their American “advisors” would set forth on fighting expeditions. 

This film talks about one such isolated post in the middle of nowhere. Major Barker (Burt Lancaster) is in charge of the outpost. Captain Olivetti (Marc Singer) is the gung-ho officer who only wants to be promoted. Barker also has Sergeant Oleneowski (Jonathan Goldsmith), who wants to be only sent back to the US as he suffers from “combat fatigue”. Corporal Courcy (Craig Wasson) is the idealist volunteer who has joined out of idealism and the idea that they are doing good for Vietnam and its people. 

Their task is to hold a village Muc Wa, abandoned by the French. Barker is against it, and given his limited resources, every junior officer is dealing or coping with more significant responsibilities than they usually do.

Soon the “computer threat” indicator shows that everything is headed for Muc Wa. Fighting patrols sent out by Barker come increasingly into contact with the enemy. The threat indicator now goes red. 

The film was released in 1978, just three years after the Vietnam War ended. Naturally, it was a flop; everyone wanted to forget the war. The Deer Hunter and Coming Home were released to generally positive acclaim, reviews and box office figures the same year. Which is a pity since this film tells how it all began.

First, the advisers. Then more advisers. Then being actually engaged in combat. Distrust between the locals and the Americans. No one wanted American “help”.

Absolute corruption from the South Vietnamese. As the scale of the resistance increased from the Viet Cong, the scale of support and operations from the Americans also increased. The South Vietnamese were divided between fighting in the field and planning one coup after another. 

All these and more are alluded to in this brilliant, underrated film that didn’t show Vietnam as a place to win medals but showed that the route to the swamp through the quicksand of “engagement” and “involvement” and “advise” was a fast one with each step taking the Americans, further and further into the swamp. Since it didn’t show anything “positive” a about the American military, the US Defense Department refused to co-operate with equipment. Yet all the equipment are authentic.

In my view, Burt Lancaster can rarely give a bad performance. Here he is simply superb as the old passed-over Major from Ww2 and Korea, yet a committed soldier. 

This is my kind of  very well made “small film” that deserved better.

The film is free on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqH4a2ESGWg

Real History – 5 out of 5

Equipment and Kit – 5 out of 5

Locations or substitutes – 4 out of 5

Script – 4 out of 5

Overall Rating – 4.5 out of 5