The Siege of Firebase Gloria is not a very well known Vietnam war film. In fact it hardly gets a mention at all and is overshadowed by films such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and others.

The premise is as follows: a Marine patrol led by sergeant Hafner (the great R. Lee Ermey) ends up in a remote US Army outpost deep in the jungles of Vietnam right at the start of the Tet offensive. Hafner takes command and must fend off waves of attacks by the Vietcong and NVA.

The story is quite interesting of how these men, outnumbered and almost forsaken must defend themselves against all odds. Although Ermey's role isn't too big (the film focuses on a few key soldiers), he is great in every frame he is in. Having been an actual Marine, he reprises his role as a tough commander with a witty tongue. The film in general find a nice balance between the main story while at the same time showing how war takes its toll on men. Interestingly enough the North Vietnamese commanders are also portrayed and fortunately not as cartoonish enemies but competent leaders.

The production values are quite good, there are lots of real helicopters, the sets and location are grand and well built and the action scenes quite vast in their scale.

However the film doesn't reach the levels achieved by Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket. Despite that, its still worth a watch.

Aussie director Brian Trenchard-Smith's Vietnam War epic "The Siege at Firebase Gloria" presents a harrowing picture of combat in Southeast Asia with the Viet Cong overrunning the eponymous base but losing the battle. Wings Hauser co-stars with real-life Marine R. Lee Emery for this 'war is Hell' battlefield opus. When Sergeant Bill Hafner (R. Lee Emery of "Full Metal Jacket") and Cpl. Joseph L. DiNardo (Wings Hauser of "Vice Squad" reach Gloria several days before the Viet Cong launched their surprise attack on U. S. and South Vietnamese bases in the country that comprised the Tet Offensive. In roughly 100-minutes, Trenchard-Smith and scenarists William L. Nagle of "The Odd Angry Shot" & Tony Johnston provide a measure of objectivity by showing the Viet Cong side of the battle. Unforgettable from start to finish, "The Siege at Firebase Gloria" doesn't pull any punches. Simply brilliant!!!