Was the use of the blinking club lights meant to convey a sense of unreality in Ronnie's life after his return home? -Lauren

Was the use of the blinking club lights meant to convey a sense of unreality in Ronnie's life after his return home? -Lauren

How often did soldiers go off to Mexico to avoid what was going on in the US? It seemed that there were a lot of the men, especially those in wheelchairs that were in Mexico trying to recover and avoid the criticism in the states. -- Kellye Sorber

'''How often did soldiers go off to Mexico to avoid what was going on in the US?''' It seemed that there were a lot of the men, especially those in wheelchairs that were in Mexico trying to recover and avoid the criticism in the states. -- Kellye Sorber

The only other Oliver Stone movie I have seen was ''Any Given Sunday'', a football movie where he used a lot of cuts and dramatized a lot of scenes where intense dialogue was taken place.  So for this movie, I was expecting a lot of distortion and even complexity in the progression of the film.  I actually don't mind how the film was made b/c it is very unique to Stone's style, and it seemed to fit in this story re-tell of someone's Vietnam war experience.  By watching these two Stone movies, it seems he likes to integrate the past with the present.  The way he seems to do this is, for example, in the scene where Kovic is speaking at a parade but he cannot continue b/c of the baby crying.  Stone reminds Kovic (and the audience) about the baby crying in Vietnam and instills sounds of helicoptors and gun fire.  Very powerful techniques.  - David F.

The only other Oliver Stone movie I have seen was ''Any Given Sunday'', a football movie where he used a lot of cuts and dramatized a lot of scenes where intense dialogue was taken place.  So for this movie, I was expecting a lot of distortion and even complexity in the progression of the film.  I actually don't mind how the film was made b/c it is very unique to Stone's style, and it seemed to fit in this story re-tell of someone's Vietnam war experience.  By watching these two Stone movies, it seems he likes to integrate the past with the present.  The way he seems to do this is, for example, in the scene where Kovic is speaking at a parade but he cannot continue b/c of the baby crying.  Stone reminds Kovic (and the audience) about the baby crying in Vietnam and instills sounds of helicoptors and gun fire.  Very powerful techniques.  - David F.

I felt that the jarring nature of the film was really unsettling - but I felt that this was a conscious decision by the film makers to portray how unsettling and choppy the experience of the vietnam was was for soldiers. -Elle

'''I felt that the jarring nature of the film was really unsettling - but I felt that this was a conscious decision by the film makers to portray how unsettling and choppy the experience of the vietnam was was for soldiers.''' -Elle

That makes sense for the "Vietnam Section" I guess we can call it, but for the entire movie?  It didn't really seem to make sense and I don't know if it was a wise choice on their part (if it was a conscious decision) to try to do that.  Something just doesn't seem to add up.  But the choppiness really did work with the war scenes because you did get a sense of confusion and chaos of the situations these guys were in. -Kelly Wuyscik

That makes sense for the "Vietnam Section" I guess we can call it, but for the entire movie?  It didn't really seem to make sense and I don't know if it was a wise choice on their part (if it was a conscious decision) to try to do that.  Something just doesn't seem to add up.  But the choppiness really did work with the war scenes because you did get a sense of confusion and chaos of the situations these guys were in. -Kelly Wuyscik

In response to Kelly's response - I was thinking psychologically it works for the whole movie. I am NOT saying that I enjoyed it as a film viewer, but I can see why it might have been done that way. - Elle

In response to Kelly's response - I was thinking psychologically it works for the whole movie. I am NOT saying that I enjoyed it as a film viewer, but I can see why it might have been done that way. - Elle