The Last Full Measure (Review)
The Last Full Measure is the story of an American hero who sacrificed everything for the sake of his comrades. Now, Vietnam War movies, no matter how good they are, are rarely easy to watch. They emphasize the horrors of a war that America had no real reason to be involved in and the lives that were lost in the name of “freedom.” I don’t like to get too political when it comes to my reviews, but the Vietnam War forced men to travel half-way around the world to fight in another country and then promptly abandoned them when they returned home. The Last Full Measure tries to rectify this by telling the tale of one wrong made right, but focusing on heroics undermines the emotional trauma it tries to emphasize as well.
Based on a true story, The Last Full Measure follows a Medal of Honor review for a soldier who died in the Vietnam War 30 years. A member of the Air Force Pararescue, William Pitsenbarger dropped in from a helicopter to rescue a number of soldiers that came under fire and stayed behind to help after their medic is hit. He ends up giving his life, and while he does receive the Air Force Cross, those that knew him believe he deserved more. The request comes across the desk of Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan), a DOD staffer who wants nothing to do with the report. His arm twisted by the higher-ups, he launches his investigation and soon learns the valiant tale of an American hero.
The Last Full Measure dusts off some of the finest old men in the industry for its cast. Incredible actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, Peter Fonda, and William Hurt play the veterans who testify to the heroics of William Pitsenbarger. All of them are tormented by the things that they’ve seen, and each of them are dealing with their nightmares in different ways. Most of them are stoic in their suffering, but over the course of the film as they confront their memories of that fateful day, they slowly open up a floodgate of emotions. I’m happy that the film went all out in casting some of the best actors possible to play these characters because all of them turn in terrific performances. They nail the invisible injury issues that so many vets face as well as the sense of brotherhood that comes from serving in combat with other men.
There are a lot of incredible actors in The Last Full Measure and Sebastian Stan manages to stand strong with all of them. Most people probably know him from the MCU as Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier. However, he proved with 2017’s I, Tonya that he’s much more than Cap’s sidekick. He does a solid job as Scott Huffman, but the script doesn’t really know what to do with him outside of using him as a tool to tell Pitsengarger’s story. He’s an outsider when it comes to the comradery shared among these vets, and for most of the movie, he doesn’t really seem to care about the story. Because of this, his character arc doesn’t make a lot of sense. There never feels like there’s a moment when he starts caring, he just does and then his emotional reactions to the tales become over-exaggerated. On top of that, he suddenly becomes the PTSD sage that knows just how to help these men deal with their own emotions. It’s a bit too disjointed to feel meaningful by the end.
My biggest problem with The Last Full Measure is that it doesn’t quite manage to make a solid connection with the audience. It comes very close at times, but it never does get its hook into you. A lot of Vietnam War movies often inspire visceral reactions to the horror that they portray. The bloody battles. The loss of friends. The futility of being there. The Last Full Measure washes all of that out with its focus on Pitsenberger as a hero. Because of this, his actions don’t feel quite as monumental as they should. The flashbacks to the battle feel more like they are shot in someone’s backyard than the sweeping jungles of Vietnam. The battle feels small, and we never really get a good look at what’s going on. Sure, there are some gory moments, but it’s all a little underwhelming, especially since this is supposed to be one of the bloodiest days in Vietnam. Instead, it relies on the actors to try to make the day seem bigger than it appears in the film. Director/writer Todd Robinson could have spent a bit more time in the past building up the moment rather than so much time in the present just talking about it.
I appreciate the story that The Last Full Measure is trying to bring to light. However, I feel like it undersells the moment that made Pitsenberger a hero. It relies heavily on the actors to try to convince the audience of the events of the day, rather than showing the bloody hell that Pitsenberger swooped into like an angel. The only other qualm I have is the lack of effort to show Hoffman forming his connection with Pitsenberger and his fellow soldiers. Still, the actors really turn in terrific performances, and the film invests strongly in portraying the regret that so many of these veterans live with. The end result is a film that is pretty good, just not great.
