Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, JT Walsh, Robert Wuhl
Primary genre: War
Secondary genre: Comedy
Nominated for: Best actor
Based on the story of Adrian Cronauer, a disc jokey in Vietnam whose unorthodox methods caused a few headaches to his superiors, “Good Morning Vietnam” wishes to present an exaggerated version of his antics veering towards comedy first and anti-war sentiment second.
From the get go, we are introduced to the verbose and improvising genius mannerisms of Robin Williams; at the dawn buster hour of 6 a.m., Cronauer’s infectious energy, charisma and enthusiasm during one of the most prolonged military conflicts in US history, never skips a beat. Deploying an ultra groovy 60s soundtrack between his laughter inducing monologues amidst all the voice changes and rapid fire jokes, this is a role that Williams was born to play clearly highlighting the late actor’s vast talent.
Yet this shiny beacon of comedy is out of order and an unusual cat and mouse game between him and the respective, oppositional to Rock n Roll authorities of order occurs to quite amusing results. Surrounded by a eclectic cast (Forest Whitaker is great as an easy going army officer) who wholeheartedly embrace and support this two legged ball of energy, the script primarily focuses on extended studio sequences which also advertise just how great the music of the swinging sixties was.
Levinson avoids preachy undertones preferring instead his silent shots to do the work; images of truckloads of soldiers sent into uncharted enemy territory speak volumes to the horrors of war that boys as young as eighteen will be facing. There is some subtle political commentary through an almost anti-authoritarian Cronauer but nothing grievous enough to upset the 80s cinema establishment the way for example, Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” (1987) did in the same year.
It is only when the film ventures outside the army base where things become problematic and stale. An attempt to shoehorn a romantic plot is pointless and undercooked while Cronauer’s friendship with a young Vietnamese ends as swiftly it starts which is a shame as this could have been used to present a Vietnamese perspective in this constant escalating battle between East and West. Markowitz’s story becomes a tad sour when it emphasises that learning New York street slang, profanities and baseball can make you forget the invasion (and subsequent destruction) of your own country.
Still, if you are willing to ignore the aforementioned points, “Good Morning Vietnam” remains an excellent comedy that is impossible to miss due to its blazing and arguably, one of the best cinematic performances of all time.
A film on fire due to William’s outstanding acting
+Williams gives one of the best performances of all time
+Comedy gold
+Subtle political commentary
+Ultra groovy soundtrack
-Pointless subplots
-A tad patronizing
-No Vietnamese perspective