... and determination ensures his survival. The close-up battle scenes are not for the squeamish, particularly the images of Vietnam victims, who throughout the film are seen as the weaker side. The film, originally a book by Randal Wallace, reflects on the general and recognisable images of war, with various close-up and point-of-view camera shots focusing on bloody and disturbing death scenes. The rapid pace of the footage we see and dramatic music we hear set the scene perfectly. This adds a sense of accretion, by the gory close-ups presumably building to a climax. We instantly recognise that the war is set in relatively modern day times because it uses explosives, gunfire and sophisticated fighter and bomber planes that imply the war is an ambush. We are then introduced to Mel Gibson, where he faces the emotional task of saying goodbye to his wife and children. This particular scene is ...

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