Diên Biên Phú

In 1954, American reporter Howard Simpson (Donald Pleasence) finds himself in the middle of the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, a pivotal siege between the French army and the Vietminh. The battle is shown through the eyes of various character archetypes illustrating human nature, including cowards and brave soldiers like Lieutenant Ky, Captain de Kerveguen's Foreign Legion company. As Simpson reports on the battle to his newspaper, he gathers information from sources such as French military personnel, Vietnamese nationalists, and Chinese contrabanders. The film portrays the 55-day siege of Điện Biên Phủ, a crucial event in the First Indochina War that led to the eventual division of Vietnam into North and South.