The Last Full Measure

The Last Full Measure

This movie tackled some very difficult subjects with a clever script and brilliant acting. It is very much an American story and certainly not for everyone.

The narrative vehicle was a naive and ambitious administrator, played by Sebastian Stan, as he learned so we gradually understood, the meaning of posthumous honours, human valour, closure, selflessness and the enduring pain of those who survive.

I can't say I enjoyed the movie by I certainly experienced it in a visceral way. Whoever developed this dry script into this movie deserves a Hollywood medal as it was a tour-de-force without descending into mush or sentimentality.

Politicians start the wars and our children die in them. A movie about values, bravery, tragedy and a man struggling to do the right thing. No "buzz" about this movies but certainly worth every minute n tear.

Second review I 24 hours being off work sick has its advantages!! I saw the low review point on this but watched it anyway because of the cast, it nearly has a better cast than the Irishman !!!! I'm not American ... I did not serve in Vietnam nor do I know anyone that served in that war as some keyboard warrior reviews seem hung up on. I enjoyed a well written well acted movie and I'm not ashamed to say I sat here and cried for the last 10 mins, not something I do for movies I think ET in the cinema was the last time. This movie slowly wrapped its storyline around my heart, gripped me till the end and and didn't disappoint. Disregard the low ratings and rants from wannabe movie critics this is a movie to enjoy and cherish every moment of they don't make them like this too often and when they do movies like this have a habit of falling between the same cracks spoken in the movie. Enjoy it for what it is, a journey for more than one person including the viewer.

A story that deserved to be told. As I watched I couldn't help but think of 'Courage Under Fire'. An investigation with plenty of interviews, all trying to determine if a person who died in battle was worthy of the Medal of Honor.

Based on all accounts, William Pitsenbarger was definitely worthy. It's unfortunate it took so long to determine this. Thankfully his parents were a central point of the story, as they should be.

It's a drama with all the well intentions in the world. All the veteran actors did a good job portraying veterans. The sentiment message was delivered; mission accomplished.

The title of this movie derives from something Abe Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address all those years ago, "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion."

The event in question happened in Vietnam in 1966, 21-yr-old Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr., a medic, decided on his own to scramble down into the fray upon realizing the unit's medic was the one wounded. He had been recommended for the Medal of Honor but it never went through, we learn because the paperwork routing went awry. It was eventually awarded on December 8th, 2000 during the Presidency of Bill Clinton.

Several really good veteran actors are the the roles of men who fought with Pitsenbarger, plus during the end credits we see and hear from several of the actual men who were involved during the 1960s.

Good movie, I watched it at home on DVD from my public library, my wife skipped. Maybe 20% of the movie is recreated battle scenes, the rest in modern (1990s) times during the search to find out what happened and what needed to be done to get the award finalized.