I'm talking about "Heartbreak Ridge", a vivid description of some months in the Marine Corps. Clint Eastwood (Gunnery Sgt. Thomas "Gunny" Highway) starred in this movie, with his well-known great quality as an actor.

There are many many scenes to be remembered: the first part of the the film is about training of a Recoinassance Platoon, in an Amphibious Unit of the USMC. Gunny gives hard weeks of training to his men but, at the end, they feel something has changed: they now can stand proud of being soldiers who know their job.

The best thing in this movie, I think, is its "message": Gunny is an old vet (Dominican, Korea, Vietnam)... but he's still capable to give his soldiers something of inestimable value: his own experience. He turns a bunch of desperados into "a few good men" (his own words). So, those man start to act as a real unit.

It's a good lesson in life: everyone has something good to give... good for us when we take it and appreciate it.

To conclude, one of the best scenes of the movie (I remember it by heart): there is a readiness deployment exercise. At a certain moment, the General Commander of the Division shows up, takes a look to Gunny and says: "Have we ever served together?"... "I was in Vietnam" ... and the General "I had a rifle company in Vietnam"... "So, we chew some of the same dirt, Sir"...

Then the General asks Gunny: "What's your evaluation of this alert?" and Gunny replies: "It's a cluster f***"...
So the General stares at Gunny and says: "Say again". "It's a cluster f***... Marines are combat men, Sir. They should not sit on their sorry asses filling request forms for equipment they should already have"...

Great Clint, great actor, great Man

I remember the first time I saw this movie when I was a teen (about 14), and it made me to have interest about the conflict it was set up. Till then didn't now anything about it and found out some info the invasion of Grenada.

Good movie and great Clint as always!

Yes, Heartbreak Ridge is a great movie. It has special significance for me, though, because my wife and I went to see it on our very first date.

I'm sorry but I found it quite corny.
A recon platoon acting like a bunch of spoilt brats!! Ineptly run training wher ethey always have to die. It was ridiculous.
Liked Clints character and his battle with the modern Corps but found the actual battle disapointing.
From a historical viewpoint. Was this invasion justified for the expansion of the Grenadan airport runway???? I know very little about it and most web stuff seems very USA one sided. Was Reagan telling the whole truth for the reasons behind the invasion or was it an accidental miss reading of intelligence.
Not trying to inflame a folder war I am genuinely interested in this event.

If you do the research you will find that, that mission was undertaken by the 2/504 PIR and the army did not approve the script. So the director made it a marine mission. Beleave me I heard about it every time my old platoon daddy SFC Kochis saw the movie. He was in A co 504 and cleared the school grounds and the admin bld. I guess it does make sense that was not really a Recon type mission.

Originally Posted by Warwick

I'm sorry but I found it quite corny.
A recon platoon acting like a bunch of spoilt brats!! Ineptly run training wher ethey always have to die. It was ridiculous.
Liked Clints character and his battle with the modern Corps but found the actual battle disapointing.
From a historical viewpoint. Was this invasion justified for the expansion of the Grenadan airport runway???? I know very little about it and most web stuff seems very USA one sided. Was Reagan telling the whole truth for the reasons behind the invasion or was it an accidental miss reading of intelligence.
Not trying to inflame a folder war I am genuinely interested in this event.

Your right... That was Reagan getting us a tune up for the military.Remember that was the post Carter/Watergate years.He was just getting us fired up again, after Carter humiliated us by trying to invade Iran with 4 helicopters...

All that aside, I guess its a Clint Eastwood movie and I should be happy with that aspect of it...!

I felt Heartbreak Ridge was corny, also. The USMC Force Reconn are some tough hombres, not some 'winny' bunch of slackers waiting for someone to motivate them!

i loved this movie and i agree that it is very under-rated

Well, maybe one day someone will put out a Grenada war movie thats a bit more gritty and realistic.......................