Name: Last Year in Viet Nam
Genre: Short
Duration: 12 min
Rating: 5.2
Cast: Oliver Stone

Last Year in Viet Nam (1971) 

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Oliver Stone's first and only student film is about a man returning home from Vietnam and not being able to fit in. We see him throw away the stuff he got while serving and then he heads out to walk around NYC. I can't say that this is a masterpiece or a film where you'd take a look at it and say that you could tell Stone would turn into a great filmmaker. From interviews I've read with Stone it seems his professor wanted him to look at his own life and try to create a film about how he was feeling so Vietnam would certainly be an obvious choice and it is somewhat interesting seeing his early ideas of the war compared to later movies like PLATOON and HEAVEN AND EARTH. Some of the most memorable footage here comes from stuff that was shot in Vietnam and it mixes in well with the New York stuff. There's a lot of cross cutting between stuff and I'll admit that at times I wasn't sure where the director was going but this is still worth seeing if you're a fan of the director.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

One of Oliver Stone's first films, Last Year in Viet Nam presents part of his personal experiences after coming back as a war veteran from the Vietnam war, trying to cope with terrible memories from the front and the recurring sensation of isolation, anguish and alienation he felt while living in New York, still uncertain of what to do with his life.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Oliver Stone and Vladimir Putin in The Putin Interviews (2017)

The Untold History of the United States (2012)

Last Year in Viet Nam

Photos

Cast1

User reviews5

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed