The Vietnam War produced classic Hollywood films — and hardly any classic female roles

“Me love you long time,” a Vietnamese sex worker tells the U.S. troops, swiveling her hips as she hawks her services.

“You party?” The first female character in Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War classic “Full Metal Jacket,” she appears for just a moment — and halfway through the film. Likewise, it’s an hour into Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” when a helicopter suddenly deposits three women onto a stage. They're scantily clad Playboy Bunnies, choppered in to rile up the troops.



They, too, appear for just a few minutes. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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