If you are not American you should give this film a miss. It has nothing to say to anyone who has not got Vietnam in his country's historyIt is a flash back film of a court martial and the events which precipitated it. Caine Mutiny it isn't and even that had its defects. A French Nun is trotted out as an end of film dea ex machina to give an true account of what really happenedBad behaviour and scape goating is the name of the game and anyone who is not American will gape with disbelief at the indiscipline of conscripts in the seventies. A viewer will ask "they didn't do that, did they?" and then wonder why it is portrayed in fictionThe main character's soliloquy at the end is said to make up or sum up the ethos of the film - but to foreign ears it just sounds like an apology for war crimes, on the level of 'oops my finger slipped so that's OK'Any European should give this film a miss

I put off watching this movie for several years because it just didn't sound like something I'd like, and there have been so many badly-done Vietnam-remembrance movies. I didn't want to see one of my favorite actors (Don Johnson) in one. When the movie began I had no idea that Don's son Jesse plays him as a young soldier, and couldn't figure out where they'd found someone who looks EXACTLY like he did in his 20's to play his younger self!! Then the words "Jesse Johnson" flashed across the screen and I about dropped my glass of iced tea --Jesse's grown up! How time flies. So I settled in to watch with a critical eye. The younger Johnson played his part flawlessly, never over-acting, but very believable in very difficult circumstances. The movie shields the viewer from the truth quite well, I couldn't figure out what actually happened at all until it is revealed.Don is characteristically excellent, but then I am admittedly biased. To me Mr. Johnson gets into the heart of his characters like few other American actors today. Through his soulful handling of the difficult character he plays the movie's message comes through loud and clear.It would have been a stronger movie if the character playing Marcy had been stronger. Although many of us may have skeletons in the closet, she comes across as a bit of a screaming mimi and "why me?" character. If these characters had a good marriage before (reportedly, we don't see enough to judge IMHO), then her first reaction shouldn't have been to be defensive and and offensive by turns to her husband. It would have been better if we had seen a Marcy worth fighting for, as Ben Tyson claims that "his family is everything," and he struggles to put them first all the while he is fighting what is happening. There is a scene where you finally understand why & how important his family is to him, but to me it comes waaaaaay too late in the movie. A few more close-family scenes in the first hour, and a wife less shallow & selfish, would have gone further to me to establish what Ben Tyson actually had, and would have upped my rating by at least one point. This guy is fighting the battle of his life and trying to save his marriage at the same time, and you want to ask him why he doesn't just tell her off at some point. His son's character has more depth and is very believable.All in all, an excellent movie worth a few repeat watches. It definitely leaves you with a few deep thoughts at the end, not the least of which is, "Who is Thucydides, anyway? Must check him out...."

This Don Johnson performance should show everyone who has been guilty of characterizing this man as more style than substance how wrong they have been!The underrated Johnson gives a moving performance as Tyson, a man tortured by this horrendous incident from his past who tries to come to grips with it without hurting anyone around him. Breathtaking!

This film is great. It starts off with you thinking one thing and then at the end when you are almost sure you know what happened, they sock you with a jaw-dropper. The whole film is very touching, very moving, has lots of new ideas and views on the affects of the war in Vietnam. All the actors do a very good job and Don Johnson is impeccable as a Lieutenant/Executive. A must-see. Good job TNT!!!