was Dieter naive?
I've seen various comments (outside IMDb) along the lines that Dieter (as portrayed in the film) was naive and didn't know what he was getting himself into when he was sent to Vietnam/Laos. I think this view comes partly from scenes like the one where he's taken into the Vietcong village to be given the propaganda letter and we see him smiling at the women and children when most people would either be trying to play the hard man or just crapping themselves.
To me, he's just someone who will always try to connect with others around him, even if it's his enemy - not out of self-interest but just because he sees them as human beings first and Vietcong second. I love the way he expects the same treatment back - like when they are on the journey to the prison camp and they tie him up and shoot around his head and he says "don't you EVER do that to me again!" as if he's standing up to the playground bully.
Anyway, this isn't exactly a question but I wondered if anyone else has any thoughts on this?