Vietnam

Absolutely awesome seen a second time around - brought me to tears which takes a lot of doing - I wonder if we'll be looking at the same sort of movie about Iraq/Afganistan in 20 years time & wondering why the hell we were there. Fascinating to see Nicole Kidman in her first major film role. I do feel that the American soldiers were stereotyped as rapist, drug using murderous bastards - that was the only scene that didn't ring true. Listening to the 70's music was great. I was still at high school in England when the Vietnam War was happening - Seeing it from an Australian perspective is different. I now have a 21 year old Vietnamese girl as my daughter in law - her parents were both refugees after the war so it all seems a lot more personal.

Nicole does indeed play a brilliant part in this production. As she waits for her conscientious objector boyfriend to be released from prison, her expressions are priceless. The look of concern, relief then her happiness are very touching. Her strong red curly hair reinforcing the inner strength of her character. The music was also well matched with the haunting 'Woodstock' from Joni Mitchell finishing off what is a milestone in Australian Television and probably the first serious look at this wonderful actress and a bearing on what was to come. I remember telling anyone who would listen to keep an eye out for this outstanding young actress after seeing her performance.

It's been many years since I watched this mini-series. The first time I saw it, I thought it was a gem, but with flaws. The flaws are the usual ones you find in Australian films/TV, namely, poor scripts and acting.

Be that as it may, on my first viewing of this mini-series, I felt that Nicholas Eadie and Nicole Kidman put in great acting performances. In brief, the mini-series is about the consequences to a family when conscription to the Vietnam war is introduced in Australia. Nicholas Eadie's character is conscripted by the nationally televised 'lottery' and he has to go off to fight in Vietnam. Nicole Kidman plays the sister of Eadie's character in the mini-series.

The scene where Nicole Kidman's character is being interviewed on radio, and her brother calls in is very moving. This scene is her greatest performance in acting, I think. I've found her acting overly mannered in subsequent movies where she plays Americans, e.g. "To die for".

The second time I saw this mini-series (hey, I liked it enough to watch it the second time it was on t.v.) it was Nicole Kidman's performance which remained the standout element of the production.

Australia has produced some of the best mini-series on television. Along with "Through my eyes" (based on the Lindy Chamberlain story), Vietnam is right up there as one of the best produced in Australia. Other brilliant Australian mini-series include Joh's Jury (fact based account of the trial of infamous state premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson) and any number of ABC TV mini-series on police corruption in Australia.

I have seen a DVD of this in Australian chain stores inside the last year or two. So, may be still available now, new.

I would like to reinforce the previous reviewer's comments.

This is a significant piece of film-making and deserves greater recognition.

The cast represents a large proportion of Australia's best talent of the period, many of whom have moved on to more widely known roles. Barry Otto was never better. Nicholas Eadie, John Polson and Mark Lee defined the youth of 1960s Australia. Jim Holt (I think) was a superb psychopathic special ops spook.

If Nicole Kidman wasn't a star after BMX Bandits, she was following the release of George Miller's Vietnam.

Bring the DVD RIGHT NOW!

This was a great mini series. The actors played extremely well, you get to know all of them and to like them. I was sad when it ended. I do not think I ever will forget this mini series, it really made an impression on me. Such a shame that it cannot be bought on DVD or video anywhere.