The Hanoi Hilton (film)

U.S. prisoners of war (Michael Moriarty, Jeffrey Jones, Paul Le Mat) suffer torture and propaganda at an infamous prison in North Vietnam.

The Hanoi Hilton is a 1987 Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American prisoners of war who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi during the 1960s and 1970s and the story is told from their perspectives. It was directed by Lionel Chetwynd, and stars Michael Moriarty, Ken Wright, and Paul Le Mat.

The film portrays fictional characters, not specific American POWs. It earned less than $1 million in its initial theatrical release, but a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment VHS release gained a cult following, especially among veterans.

A DVD release of the film had been anticipated for some time in 2008, with the package to include a new interview with former POW and 2008 presidential candidate John McCain. However, the films release was suspended by Warner Bros. due to McCain being the Republican Party nominee. The week following the 2008 US presidential election, the DVD went forward into release.

Lionel Chetwynd's film documents the horrific struggles that faced American POWs held in the North Vietnamese prison Hoa Lo more infamously known as the Hanoi Hilton between 1964 and 1975. Williamson (Michael Moriarty) leads a group of American servicemen who are prisoners at the detention camp. He assumes command after Cathcart (Lawrence Pressman) is dragged off to be tortured.