DANGER CLOSE (2019)

                        “Danger Close:  The Battle of Long Tan” is an Australian movie about the most famous military action involving the Australian army in the Vietnam War.  It was directed by Kriv Stenders. For those of you waiting for movies like “Pegasus Bridge”, don’t give up hope.  This movie started pre-production in 2008, the screenplay was finished in 2014, and the movie was not released until 2019!  It took so long that Sam Worthington was supposed to star.  The exteriors were shot in Australia.  Veterans were used as extras.  The weapons were authentic with most of the soldiers armed with the L1A1 SLR.  One of the RAAF UH-18 Hueys was actually used in the battle.

                        A title card tells us that Australia supported American forces in a civil war between North and South Vietnam.  The soldiers were a mix of conscripts and volunteers.  Their average age was 20 and inexperienced.  This is a pure and simple battle movie.  It jumps right in on the eve of the battle.  An Australian base comes under mortar fire during the night of August 17, 1966.  A lot of the blokes are shirtless, ladies.  Some are drinking Fosters while on guard duty, guys.  In a disappointing cinematic development, their battery knocks out the enemy mortar in one shot.  Great shooting, mates!   The next day, Bravo Company is sent to make contact in a rubber plantation.  In a nod to the attitude of the Australians, it will be called Operation Vendetta.   Maj. Smith (Travis Fimmel – Ragnar of “Vikings”) argues for his Delta Company, but in a scene that establishes the command dysfunction theme, Lt. Col. Townsend shoots him down.  Later, Smith (a veteran of the counterinsurgency in Malaysia) asks for transfer to a fighting unit which will respect his warrior abilities.  Smith has a reputation as a hard-ass who grates on his superiors and is unpopular with his men.  He is in need of a respect-earning arc.  Sgt. Buick (Luke Bracey) asks him if he is pushing the men too hard.  Somebody had to.  So far, the movie has touched on some time-honored clichés.  Let’s hope the combat is more original. 

                        The day of the battle, the base is visited by entertainers that include Little Pattie, a pop star.  Delta Company won’t be enjoying her big hit “He’s My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy”.  Smith is sent to relieve Bravo.  He briefs the officers.  Any questions.  Hands raise.  He ignores them.  Delta saunters into the rubber plantation and walks into an ambush by a large enemy unit.  The three platoons will each have to deal with human waves, culminating in a last stand.  Meanwhile, back at headquarters, Lt. Col. Townsend and Brig. Jackson (Richard Roxburgh) disagree over how to avoid disaster.

                       “Danger Close” is combat porn at its finest.  And there is a very high percentage of it. Director Kriv Stenders has a flair for action.  He uses all the tools of cinematography and effects. Slo-mo, super slo-mo, explosions, stunt men jumping on trampolines after explosions, following shells to their fiery destination, blood splattering on the camera lens, etc.  It has some vibrant bells and whistles like flame coming out of howitzer barrels.  Tracers whizz and wounds are graphic.  The combat most resembles “We Were Soldiers”, as does the battle itself.  Where they differ is “Danger Close” does not bother with the build-up.  It is only concerned with the battle, not the unit.  Obviously, there are no home front scenes, but there is some character development of the common soldiers.  Unfortunately, these men are stereotypical.  Lt. Sharp is the “cocky little prick”.  Pvt. Large is the screw-up who will be annealed by combat.  Unfortunately, he makes the mistake of talking about his upcoming wedding.   Otherwise, the deaths are refreshingly random, as in war.  The acting is good with Fimmel dominating.  He has a lot of charisma and was a good choice for Smith.  He simmers rather than blusters as the rogue warrior.

                        The greatest strength of the movie is its accuracy.  As you will see below in my accuracy section, it has a high degree of fidelity to the truth.  It gets many small details right, like the visit form Little Pattie.  It does not enhance the action and most importantly, it does not substitute a feel-good ending for reality like “We Were Soldiers” did.  The movie does not take a stand on the war.  It is more interested in lauding the soldiers as opposed to high command.  The movie is a tribute to the Australian effort in the war and does not question it.  You don’t have to be Australian to enjoy it.  You just have to be a war movie fan.  It could possibly be the best war movie of 2019.  If you don’t count “1917” as a 2019 movie.

GRADE  =  A

HISTORICAL ACCURACY:  The base was bombarded the night before, but it was much more extensive and the counter-battery fire was 240 rounds, not one.  Company B  was understrength, plus many of its men were due for leave the next day.  It was sent to find the mortars.  Most of the infantry did carry L1A1 SLR’s.   Little Pattie and Col Joye and the Joy Boys were giving a concert when the battle began. Bravo Company did locate some mortar positions, but did not encounter any enemy.  Delta was sent to relieve Bravo. Smith had 108 men.  He and Townsend were not told that there was a VC battalion in the area.  Smith claimed that Brigadier Jackson knew of the enemy force and withheld the intelligence.  They left with the standard ammunition for a patrol – 60 rounds per man.  Some members of 11^th Platoon, led by Sgt. Buick did run into 6-8 VC crossing their path.  Buick fired, hitting one, and the others scattered.  The platoon pursued.  The cabin was a rubber tapper’s cabin.  Some grenades were found, but nothing else.  11 Platoon was attacked and pinned down.     The enemy had heavy machine guns and mortars.  Sharp was rising up to see where the artillery was hitting when he was killed.  Buick took over.  The radio was disabled after Buick took over.  The enemy did use bugles to signal attacks. Artillery fire was called in to aid 11^th Platoon.  Smith had a forward observer, Capt. Maurice Stanley, who coordinated the fire.  Eventually, all 24 guns of the 1^st Field Artillery were used, plus an American battery. The movie greatly downplays the role the artillery played in keeping the enemy at bay.  10 Platoon did attempt to reach 11, but it was pinned down. On the way, 10^th ran into an enemy unit preparing to attack 11.  It broke up the attack, but was soon pinned down.  F-4s were called in but the rain and low clouds kept the Phantoms from seeing the smoke.  They had to drop their napalm away from the trapped platoons. Buick did repair the radio and contacted Stanley demanding artillery fire on his position due to the dire situation and their running out of ammunition, but Stanley refused and instead walked the fire in close.  The artillery hit an assault group.  The rain was harder than in the movie and continued for the rest of the battle.  Lt. Sabben (not Large) led the section of 11  to save 12 platoon.  They reached the cabin, but were pinned down.   Smith did send a radioman to 10 because their radio is out.  He did kill two enemy on the way.    The  chopper pilots did not defy orders to bring ammunition.  Their commander was reluctant to send them, but relented.  They did drop the crates from above.   Sabben (not Buick) popped the smoke.  It did guide the remainder of 11 in.  Only 13 of the 28 came in. Jackson did fear an attack on the base and was reluctant to reduce the defenders.  100 men from Company A were sent in 10 APCs under the command of Lt. Roberts.  Their experience was accurately depicted in the film.  He did send two APCs back for Townsend, but refused to wait.  They crashed into the flank of an enemy unit and one of the APC commanders was killed as his APC did not have a gun shield.  The company did make a last stand in a depression. Kirby did  run out to take out a machine gun.  The artillery fire was much more consistent than in the movie.  3,500 rounds were fired.  The enemy attacks were not as suicidal as the movie depicts.  The enemy tactic was to get through the artillery kill zone as quickly as possible and engage from short range.  Large’s death was similar to as in the movie.   With ammo having run out, Smith did  prepare for the last attack.  The APCs did arrive just in the nick of time.    The movie accurately proclaims that 18 Australians were killed. (11 of the dead were draftees.)  As far as the claim that 245 enemy were killed.  This is the official total that was told to the press.  Many have questioned it, including Smith.  It might have been as low as 50.  The VC claimed 700 dead Australians.