DANGER CLOSE, THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN

Australia, 2019, 118 minutes, Colour.
Travis Fimmel, Richard Roxburgh, Daniel Webber, Luke Bracey, Nicholas Hamilton, Anthony Hayes.
Directed by Kriv Stenders.

“Danger Close� is a military call when explosives are falling close and there is a need to take cover. There was certainly a lot of danger, getting very close, in the 1968 Battle of Long Tan, symbol of Australian action and involvement in the Vietnam War.

Some decades ago there was a Vietnam War film from Australia, The Odd Angry Shot serious but with some ironic humour. Now, just over 50 years since Long Tan, this is a very serious look at jungle conflict, the large numbers of the Vietcong and their attacks, the inexperience of the young Australian soldiers, the dilemmas for leadership decisions…

While many Australians knew about the Battle of Long Tan at the time, the film points out that the soldiers were given recognition by the United States but it took many decades before they were acknowledged by Australian authorities.

The battle took place two years after the Australian Prime Minister, Harold Holt, decided that we should go “all the way with LBJ�. The war, however, would continue for the best part of another seven years before the fall of Saigon, 1975.

This is film is particularly well made, directed by Kriv Stenders (best known for Red Dog). Queensland locations standing in for Vietnam and are quite convincing. The effects and stunt work for the attacks, the devastating explosions, men killed and injured in action, have a powerful impact.

At the end of the film, there is a list of those men who died at Long Tan, the oldest of them being only 22. And this is one of the impressions from the screenplay, these young men, many conscripted, had had comparatively little training and experience but were being called on to go out on missions, always wary of the continued attacks by the Vietcong. There are some scenes where they reminisce about their background, reminding the audiences of what life was like in Australia at the time. There are also some moments of some of them being cheeky, memories of the larrikin ethos of the Anzacs.

The central character, a professional army major, played by Travis Fimmel, is tough, hard on the young soldiers, demanding – but eventually the audience sees the more humane side of him, leading the men by example, a mediator between them and the commanding officers. The principal officers are played by Richard Roxburgh, the brigadier, and Anthony Hayes, the colonel who is required to make decisions but wants to be personally involved in the action.

The filmmakers are able to immerse the audience in the experience of war, in the small groups heading out from the headquarters (the film giving some vivid impressions of the work done there, phone contacts, calculations and adjustments for firing rockets, finding ways to provide backup, extra weapons dropped from helicopters…).

Many veterans coming home from World War II to the United States and to Australia were not always welcomed, having to shoulder the blame for the involvement, the casualties, the defeats. Danger Close serves as a reminder of the realities of 20th century warfare and a tribute to those who gave their lives, and the many gave their deaths, to the wars.

1. The title? The danger of explosions, the danger of injury in Friendly Fire? The message to take cover?

2. Vietnam, 1968, the film explaining the background of the Civil War, North and South, Communist and free? The American involvement, the 1960s, All the Way with LBJ? Australian support, the draft, conscription, young men in their late teens and early 20s? Short training, no fighting experience, the impact of the time, protests, moratoriums? In retrospect?

3. The Western involvement in Vietnam by 1968 (and the war ending only in 1975)? The battle of Long Tan? The testing of Australian fighting? In unfamiliar situations? Audience knowledge of these times, the atmosphere of 1968, the Vietcong, the American presence, the Australian presence? And whether this activity and successful battle was acknowledged at the time by Australia or not?

4. An Australian perspective on the young soldiers, the Australian spirit, memories of World War I and the Anzacs, North Africa, New Guinea, memories of World War II? Warfare in the tropics? The young men, bravery, fears – and the expressions of the somewhat irreverent and larrikin spirit?

5. Queensland locations for staging these battles in Vietnam? The tropics, the jungle, the establishing of the headquarters and its equipment, the staff and their work, pressures, fighting in the fields?

6. The contribution of the stunt work, the battles, the attacks, deaths? The weapons and explosions? Death and injury?

7. Audience empathy? With the Australians? Attitudes towards the Americans? Relying on them for support? The background of Indochina and the Communist threat, the defeat of the French?

8. The presence of the officers, the brigadier, his attitude, in charge, strong personality? The colonel subordinate to him, strategies, involvement with the men, his wanting to be actively involved? The major and other officers? Headquarters, information coming in, devising strategies, the variety of tactics? Communications and loss of communication? Decisions to be made on the spot? The consequences?

9. Communications, the phone system, measurements and distances, calculations, the planes and the dropping of bombs? The involvement of helicopters and the dangers? The range of rockets and calculations for accuracy? Protecting the infantry on the ground? Risks?

10. The focus on Harry, at the centre, out in the field? His military background, family, his work in Malaysia? As a personality, seemingly harsh, his stances, orders and expectations, his treatment of the young men, reprimanding them, humiliation and challenge? His contact with the authorities?

11. The range of young men, the middle-aged men? The young man from the farm, shooting rabbits, on guard with the younger soldier, drinking, the shot, being reprimanded by Harry? His later daring, crawling through the jungle? Bringing back information? The long talk with Harry, the wedding, the invitation – and his death? The impact on Harry, on the others?

12. The details of the advance, the small platoons, the ever-present enemy, their numbers, being surrounded, strategies, the use of weapons, loss of weapons and backup? Phone contacts, loss of contact? The range of injuries and deaths, the graphic visualisation? The effort to gather the wounded and bring them to safety?

13. The brigadier, strategies, sending out the tanks or not, the limit of numbers of men? The men in the field, the group leader and his suggesting the bombing and their giving their lives? The tanks, the push, the distance, the time? The major and his deciding to go into action?

14. The continued attacks by the Vietnamese, the number of deaths?

15. The achievement of Long Tan, American recognition, lack of Australian recognition for many decades?

16. In the context of this battle for Australian morale and achievement? In 1968 – but with so many years of the war to follow?