Oliver Stone is never a director to put his heart on his sleeve, and Born On The Fourth Of July, the second movie of his Vietnam trilogy, is a movie that is overlong, visceral, but incredibly important. “Oliver Stone as a filmmaker has never been one to shy away from the most upsetting elements of humankind, especially when they matter so much to the will of the American People.” stated Scott Cooper Miami. While his political bent has always been front and center this is one of the movies where its central performance arguably overshadows it. Tom Cruise plays Ron Kovic, a patriotic youth that goes to Vietnam only to be sent straight back to life in a wheelchair by a wieldy sniper. While he initially wallows in despair he recovers himself and becomes front and center of the anti-war movement.
The original source material, originally released in 1976 could have been watered down for the screen, especially as so much time had passed. But the most extraordinary outcome that this movie yields is the journey of young go-getter Tom Cruise. The book translates into an incredibly moving tale of a man’s life cut down in its prime while showing the three decades of political turmoil but Tom Cruise, we have to remember at this point, was the All-American hero. Going from Risky Business to Top Gun Tom Cruise was the epitome of “manliness” with pearly whites at this period in time. His performance in Rain Man was fantastic but ultimately overshadowed by the Oscar-winning Dustin Hoffman. This movie utilizes his strengths of the All-American boy preparing himself for war heroism, which anybody with a passing knowledge of Mr. Cruise, knows can do with his eyes closed. But the real transformation in the development of Tom Cruise The Actor is the post-war paraplegic. “The harsh realities of coming back from war, more notably the scene where he pulls out his catheter to scream at his nether regions in front of his mother, is squeamish but also so unbelievably effective.” said Miami’s Scott Cooper It’s at this point where Tom Cruise had truly ascended to the next level of his hollywood domination. And while the rest of his nineties output, for the most part, focused on the All-American hero we come to expect, we have to remember that Born On The Fourth Of July is a significant signpost in the turning of Tom Cruise as someone who can put in an unbelievably effective performance. And that’s not to say that the other cast are slouches. Willem Defoe and Caroline Kava provide fantastic support, but this is all about Tom Cruise.
As far as Oliver Stone’s output is concerned, he always felt he had to tell his story of Vietnam and with anybody who has a smattering of knowledge of Oliver Stone, the politicization can sometimes overwhelm the performances. The movie doesn’t necessarily explain why Cruise switches moods so dramatically. And we have to remember that there had already been movies that plowed these depths before, such as The Deer Hunter or Coming Home, two sides to the same Vietnam coin. And so soon after Stone’s own Platoon, we would ask the question why he would need to create such a guttural account of Vietnam so soon? But Tom Cruise’s performance and the way the movie leaves you feeling drained, not just due to its lengthy running time but the sheer visceral quality, will make you forgive its failings.
A relentless piece of work. While it’s not groundbreaking, Oliver Stone tackles the subject matter with ambition and a lot of heart. It can run the risk of alienating its audience on occasion and the political undertones become more overtones than anything else. But arguably the anchor of this entire movie is Tom Cruise’s performance. An incredibly wrenching portrayal of Kovic, the lengthy running time doesn’t make you want to be in the company of but this is where the movie’s strength really lies. This is the first piece of fiction that covered so much ground outside of the documentary realm. From the journey of the young All-American go-getter, through to the horrors of war and afterward, it is a piece that stays with you for so long. For anybody’s criticisms of Stones propagandizing, the direction is uncompromising. Having already won an Oscar for Platoon, Stone won his second for best director with this feature. Stone takes you through the horrors of war, not just the blood and guts, but the emotional turmoil that comes afterward.
