Mel Gibson: America's sweetheart

Arthur J Pais

Just when you thought war films were going out of style, comes We Were Soldiers. Despite mixed reviews, it claims top position at the North American box office with a strong $ 20 million take in three days.

Industry observers credited Mel Gibson, one of the industry's steadiest stars, for the film's excellent opening.

Gibson also co-produced the film directed by Randall Wallace, who scripted the multiple Oscar winner, Braveheart, which had Gibson as producer, director and lead star.

In recent times, war films have been led by older stars like Gene Hackman and Robert Redford, with the exception of Pearl Harbor the $ 200 million grosser. At 46, Gibson is considerably younger than Redford, who is in his mid 60s, and Hackman, in his early 70s.

Critics also point out that We Were Soldiers, while fleetingly saluting the Vietcong, also remains a rare Vietnam film that shows American soldiers in a good light as honorable comrades. The film is inspired by the real life story of Lt Col Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), who led 400 American soldiers into the first bloody battle of the Vietnam War in 1965, in the La Drang Valley. It is inspired by Moore's best-selling book, We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young.

Given the film's celebration of Americans in Vietnam, it clearly is not a film that will be cheered by the likes of Oliver Stone (Platoon), even though it refuses to make the Vietcong look like caricatures in the Rambo films.

The film cost a conservative $ 100 million. A strong showing abroad and a solid video and DVD sale will be crucial for its success. Many American war films haven't done well abroad. While Black Hawk Down scored well in Asia and Britain, it fared poorly in many European countries as an exercise in American jingoism. However, Pearl Harbor surprised Hollywood by raking over $ 260 million at the foreign BO.

Mel Gibson's star power undoubtedly is a big draw abroad. This could help make the film a winner. "Mel Gibson is a rock solid star. He just continues to roll along," Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks the box office, told reporters. "He keeps enthralling audiences with virtually everything he does."