A Rumor of War

This adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Philip Caputo was one of the first made-for-television movies to deal with the subject of Vietnam. Originally 200 minutes, much of the early material has been cut. What's left, however, is very good indeed. Brad Davis stars as Caputo, a rookie lieutenant who goes to war filled with idealism and excitement, and grows up fast. When most of his platoon is decimated, Caputo acts on a "tip" which results in the murder of two Vietnamese civilians. Innocent or guilty? Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, viewers must in the end decide for themselves. Admirably, the story has not been whitewashed; Caputo emerges as an ordinary man caught up in an extraordinary situation--a man who has his share of traits, both good and bad. Unfortunately, the packagers have added the line "suitable for all ages" to the back of the video box. This is not strictly true. Some material, notably a brief nudity scene and occasional profanity have been added to the TV-version. My guess is that dialogue such as "Communism can kiss my fucking ass" is perhaps a tad more ideology than the Sesame Street set is equipped to understand. This aside, the popularity of Vietnam films, as well as the exceptionally low price, make this a good purchase. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)