Yet Another Casualty of A Lousy War

Working opposite Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson was a dream job for Vietnamese actor Don Duong. Too bad it might be his last. Duong's role as a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) commander in the blockbuster war film We Were Soldiers has perturbed Vietnam's censors. Authorities may bar Duong from acting for five years for taking part in the movie, which is banned in the communist country because it paints the North Vietnamese as merciless killers. Duong is guilty of "distorting the history of Vietnam," according to Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Information Department officials, who dislike the movie's depiction of the November, 1965 battle of Ia Drang as a U.S. victory. Vietnamese historians say their side won the battle, the first face-off between the U.S. Army and NVA regulars.

One of Vietnam's most popular celebrities, Duong, 45, says he was drawn to the role of Commander Nguyen Huu An, who weathers relentless American firepower and is portrayed, if briefly, as an honorable soldier. Duong has protested that he had no control over the director's final cut and that he doesn't plan to do any more war movies, but that may not be enough to prevent his blacklisting. Vietnam's Ministry of Culture—kind of a Supreme Court of censorship—is now reviewing the film and will decide Duong's fate soon. Meanwhile, he can be seen in the current release Green Dragon , a refugee-camp drama by Vietnamese-American brothers Timothy Linh Bui and Tony Bui. It may be the last chance to see him for a while.