Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
You ever wondered why the drug cartel in Tropic Thunder (2008) spoke Mandarin Chinese despite being the Burmese-Laos-Thai jungle?
It’s rooted in real history and there’s a couple of movies that portray the long history of the Golden Triangle and its connection to the Cold War in Asia.
Rather than a video essay, I wanted to show you all how the Golden Triangle was portrayed through visuals and narrative.
You can see for yourself an idea of what the people involved with the Golden Triangle and the area was like back in the Cold War.
Here you can see how the the films from the West and East depict the Golden Triangle's history.
Some very inaccurate (Air America), some over dramatized (A Home Too Far), and some not quite on the mark (American Gangster).
Once you see the clips, you can connect how each film portrays the area and the culture of the people who live within the Golden Triangle.
Films in question:
Home Too Far
Air America
American Gangster
Home Too Far 2
Heroes Shed No Tears
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA
Tropic Thunder
Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Home Too Far (1990) - 1:00
1. Burmese Govt gets involved - 8:09
2. Tatmadaw vs Kuomintang - 14:36
3. United Nations orders evacuation from Burma -19:32
4. Some soldiers and families remain behind to fight the Civil War - 21:13
Operation Hurricane (1961) - 22:07
Laos (1962)/Laos Annual Poppy Harvest (1969)/Laos Govt outlaws Opium (1971) - 23:04
Air America (1990) - 24:54
American Gangster (2007) - 27:16
Home Too Far 2 (1993) - 29:05
1. American Gangster (1970) - 35:58
2. Home Too Far (1971) - 36:41
2. American Gangster (1974) - 37:11
3. American Gangster (1975) - 37:40
Heroes Shed No Tears (1985) - 38:22
British Rare Report in North Thailand KMT Outpost (1977) - 39:23
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA (2013) - 40:45
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 43:25
North Thailand Chinese Nationalist Population (2020) - 45:41
Cinema:
Home Too Far (1990) - 1:00
1. Burmese Govt gets involved - 8:09
2. Tatmadaw vs Kuomintang - 14:36
3. United Nations orders evacuation from Burma -19:32
4. Some soldiers and families remain behind to fight the Civil War - 21:13
Air America (1990) - 24:54
American Gangster (2007) - 27:16
Home Too Far 2 (1993) - 29:05
1. American Gangster (1970) - 35:58
2. Home Too Far (1971) - 36:41
2. American Gangster (1974) - 37:11
3. American Gangster (1975) - 37:40
Heroes Shed No Tears (1985) - 38:22
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA (2013) - 40:45
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 43:25
Real Life Footage:
Operation Hurricane (1961) - 22:07
Laos (1962)/Laos Annual Poppy Harvest (1969)/Laos Govt outlaws Opium (1971) - 23:04
British Rare Report in North Thailand KMT Outpost (1977) - 39:23
North Thailand Chinese Nationalist Population (2020) - 45:41
VICE states it was Chinese Bandits who brought Opium seeds into Myannmar, when that is farther from the truth.
It is much more complicated than just bandits, especially when one considers that poppy plants were a natural and ancient crop that was grown within the borders of
southern China, Myanmar, and Laos; all grown contemporarily with the Cold War conflicts that brought it to the big stage.
The truth is it was various cartels from Burma's divided country and several Chinese ones that branched off of the Kuomintang army (but also from ethnic Chinese already living there)
But I am no certified historian, I am just bringing up cinematic portrayals of one of history's least concentrated and acknowledged stories.
Sources:
VICE Drug documentary of the Golden Triangle
youtube.com/watch?v=zftWMus7zuc
Chinese KMT in Thailand (2013 - 2020)
youtube.com/watch?v=zFe31GVP6fA&pp=ygUyXOazsOWMl-S4reWci-OAjOe1kOOAjSAoVGFuZ2xlKSAo5a6Y5pa55pyA57WC54mIKS4%3D
youtube.com/watch?v=V9x6b0kKR7E&list=PLNsKtTiwb8JFmiaE0rVXcit_lggf9-vHT&index=2&ab_channel=57%E6%9D%B1%E6%A3%AE%E8%B2%A1%E7%B6%93%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E
youtube.com/watch?v=2Kzrm0AkxY8&list=PLNsKtTiwb8JFmiaE0rVXcit_lggf9-vHT&index=3&ab_channel=%E5%85%AC%E5%85%B1%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96-%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E
youtube.com/watch?v=rMa8FChUJ_Y&ab_channel=%E5%8F%B0%E8%A6%96%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9ETTVNEWS
Operation Hurricane (1961)
britishpathe.com/asset/249149
Laos Annual Opium Harvest (1969)
britishpathe.com/asset/146098
Laos burns opium crops (1971)
britishpathe.com/asset/158592
THAILAND: NATIONALIST CHINESE TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES FORCED INTO EXILE 28 YEARS AGO ARE ASIA'S 'FORGOTTEN ARMY". (1977)
britishpathe.com/asset/131498
You ever wondered why the drug cartel in Tropic Thunder (2008) spoke Mandarin Chinese despite being the Burmese-Laos-Thai jungle?
It’s rooted in real history and there’s a couple of movies that portray the long history of the Golden Triangle and its connection to the Cold War in Asia.
Rather than a video essay, I wanted to show you all how the Golden Triangle was portrayed through visuals and narrative.
You can see for yourself an idea of what the people involved with the Golden Triangle and the area was like back in the Cold War.
Here you can see how the the films from the West and East depict the Golden Triangle's history.
Some very inaccurate (Air America), some over dramatized (A Home Too Far), and some not quite on the mark (American Gangster).
Once you see the clips, you can connect how each film portrays the area and the culture of the people who live within the Golden Triangle.
Films in question:
Home Too Far
Air America
American Gangster
Home Too Far 2
Heroes Shed No Tears
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA
Tropic Thunder
Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Home Too Far (1990) - 1:00
1. Burmese Govt gets involved - 8:09
2. Tatmadaw vs Kuomintang - 14:36
3. United Nations orders evacuation from Burma -19:32
4. Some soldiers and families remain behind to fight the Civil War - 21:13
Operation Hurricane (1961) - 22:07
Laos (1962)/Laos Annual Poppy Harvest (1969)/Laos Govt outlaws Opium (1971) - 23:04
Air America (1990) - 24:54
American Gangster (2007) - 27:16
Home Too Far 2 (1993) - 29:05
1. American Gangster (1970) - 35:58
2. Home Too Far (1971) - 36:41
2. American Gangster (1974) - 37:11
3. American Gangster (1975) - 37:40
Heroes Shed No Tears (1985) - 38:22
British Rare Report in North Thailand KMT Outpost (1977) - 39:23
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA (2013) - 40:45
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 43:25
North Thailand Chinese Nationalist Population (2020) - 45:41
Cinema:
Home Too Far (1990) - 1:00
1. Burmese Govt gets involved - 8:09
2. Tatmadaw vs Kuomintang - 14:36
3. United Nations orders evacuation from Burma -19:32
4. Some soldiers and families remain behind to fight the Civil War - 21:13
Air America (1990) - 24:54
American Gangster (2007) - 27:16
Home Too Far 2 (1993) - 29:05
1. American Gangster (1970) - 35:58
2. Home Too Far (1971) - 36:41
2. American Gangster (1974) - 37:11
3. American Gangster (1975) - 37:40
Heroes Shed No Tears (1985) - 38:22
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA (2013) - 40:45
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 43:25
Real Life Footage:
Operation Hurricane (1961) - 22:07
Laos (1962)/Laos Annual Poppy Harvest (1969)/Laos Govt outlaws Opium (1971) - 23:04
British Rare Report in North Thailand KMT Outpost (1977) - 39:23
North Thailand Chinese Nationalist Population (2020) - 45:41
VICE states it was Chinese Bandits who brought Opium seeds into Myannmar, when that is farther from the truth.
It is much more complicated than just bandits, especially when one considers that poppy plants were a natural and ancient crop that was grown within the borders of
southern China, Myanmar, and Laos; all grown contemporarily with the Cold War conflicts that brought it to the big stage.
The truth is it was various cartels from Burma's divided country and several Chinese ones that branched off of the Kuomintang army (but also from ethnic Chinese already living there)
But I am no certified historian, I am just bringing up cinematic portrayals of one of history's least concentrated and acknowledged stories.
Sources:
VICE Drug documentary of the Golden Triangle
youtube.com/watch?v=zftWMus7zuc
Chinese KMT in Thailand (2013 - 2020)
youtube.com/watch?v=zFe31GVP6fA&pp=ygUyXOazsOWMl-S4reWci-OAjOe1kOOAjSAoVGFuZ2xlKSAo5a6Y5pa55pyA57WC54mIKS4%3D
youtube.com/watch?v=V9x6b0kKR7E&list=PLNsKtTiwb8JFmiaE0rVXcit_lggf9-vHT&index=2&ab_channel=57%E6%9D%B1%E6%A3%AE%E8%B2%A1%E7%B6%93%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E
youtube.com/watch?v=2Kzrm0AkxY8&list=PLNsKtTiwb8JFmiaE0rVXcit_lggf9-vHT&index=3&ab_channel=%E5%85%AC%E5%85%B1%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96-%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E8%A7%80%E9%BB%9E
youtube.com/watch?v=rMa8FChUJ_Y&ab_channel=%E5%8F%B0%E8%A6%96%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9ETTVNEWS
Operation Hurricane (1961)
britishpathe.com/asset/249149
Laos Annual Opium Harvest (1969)
britishpathe.com/asset/146098
Laos burns opium crops (1971)
britishpathe.com/asset/158592
THAILAND: NATIONALIST CHINESE TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES FORCED INTO EXILE 28 YEARS AGO ARE ASIA'S 'FORGOTTEN ARMY". (1977)
britishpathe.com/asset/131498
