It's not quite an anti-war movie. It would be reading too much subtext to the movie. In a way, it is an anti-anti-soldier movie. It accurately portrays the disrespect many in the United States had had for the service and sacrifice rendered by the soldiers during the Vietnam War. In the end, the young lieutenant gave his life for those who do not appreciate it, and the crusty old soldier had to saddle up once more to fight for those who insult him. Very poignant.

This movie depicts a very intense feeling of the loss felt by veterans after a fallen friend is gone. I like this movie a lot because it shows a side of the military very often forgotten. We are no less of an emotional being than anyone else but our bond is built by something deeper than most will have the joy to experience. For those who wish to experience the feeling of almost being military I highly wish you to see this.

The story line was a bit of surprise for Hollywood. A "war" movie w/out blood or combat. Doing a movie about the Old Guard and Arlington during the Vietnam War was pretty brave considering the sympathy displayed for the men involved...You have a PSG (platoon dad)James Caan, torn by demands of duty and a family lost to him because of that duty. (This should reasonate with all of us vets who lost our families because of our duty) He has a job he hates and one he knows he is good at but still wants a return to his line job of leading infantrymen. You have the CSM (sargeant major) James Earl Jones, the young gung ho troop DB Sweeny (they are alot more numerous then common perception would have), Dean Stockwell as the CO(company commander) Anjelica Huston as Caan's anti war love interest and a fine supporting cast.

I was really impressed with the overall story line. I disagree with many of the other reviewers as this is not an anti war movie. Coppola did his research and the movie really does a great job of showing what life is often like in the Army. He showed the little details (M14 rifles and the detail in the barracks TA50 inspection) that Hollywood so seldom gets despite the military advisors they hire to check out scripts. The day to day workings of the Machine in garrison brought back alot of memories too. The Army was really like this People, it is/was a very tight organization and the Old Guard is a good example of that tightness.

I have worked w/those guys and seen them at their job. Despite all the pressures, they seldom (almost never in the public eye) fall down. The stuff that goes on behind the public eye is what makes the story so compelling. I'm not a Coppola fan but he did this right and surprisingly w/respect too.

I hail from the Washington DC area and lived in Arlington for many years. As an Army brat, I spent many hours on post at Ft. Myer and observed many of the ceremonies captured in the film. Finally my father was buried with full military honors in Arlington Cemetery during the period covered by the film. Despite the fact that the story is very unremarkable, if not labored, even with such a high-powered cast, it is filled with long loving silent meditations on the ceremonies, and for that, it deserves respect. The credits pay eloquent and simple tribute to all the services' ceremonial units, but this is the Old Guard's show, and they execute with the poise and precision for which the unit is world famous. I found it very moving.

An interesting look at the Vietnam War by using the Army as an instrument to see the war from the inside of one of the Elite Units of the Green Machine. I.E. The 3rd Infantry (Old Guard) Regiments whose job is pay final honors to the fallen dead of the war. This is one of the more intelligent films to come out in quite a while. Just don't expect any combat sequences just some really intelligent conversations.