Purely Joyful Movie!

hyped garbage

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It is 1973 and a squad of nine Louisiana National Guardsmen are preparing for an exercise in the remote bayous. It should be a routine weekend exercise as they navigate through the swamps; unfortunately the winter rains have changed the terrain somewhat and he route they intended to take is flooded. Going round would mean retracing their step but they find some pirogues belonging to Cajun hunters and decide to 'borrow' three of them. When the hunters return and shout at them one of the guardsmen opens fire with his machinegun; he only has blanks but the hunters return fire with live ammunition and kill the squad leader. The survivors flee and tensions soon rise as they argue about what to do. They later come across another Cajun who they take prisoner. Their troubles are far from over; tensions within the group increase as they face dangers from the hunters, the harsh terrain and each other.This is an entertaining, if somewhat gruelling tale of survival. It may have been seen as an allegory for the Vietnam but as so much time has passed that detail will be lost on most viewers… not that it really affects ones enjoyment. There is a feeling of tension from the very start, as the guardsmen argue amongst themselves before they even start… one just knows they won't perform well under real pressure. When that trouble does start the film nicely captures the confusion and blind panic before they argue about what to do. For the most part they are an unsympathetic bunch. The cast does a really fine job; most notably Powers Boothe as Hardin, a Texan chemical engineer who has recently moved to Louisiana and Keith Carradine as Spencer, the most rational of the group. These two are effectively the protagonists. The squad members face many dangers and these often come without warning… once one of them is killed by a trap the tension rises further as you realise it could happen again at any moment. The way we barely see the hunters till the very end makes them more menacing; almost like the unseen monster in a horror movie. As the end approached I was unsure whether any of the guardsmen would survive. The Louisiana setting works very well; it is clear that the actors are wading through real swamp not a film-set. Overall I'd recommend this to those who enjoyed films like 'Deliverance'; even if this isn't quite of that quality.

Love this film, yes it does have hold a in the story but just watch it for the set pieces, the drama, the action and the acting. The set pieces set done mainly in the swamp gives off a claustrophobic feel to it in which the actors do a great in trying to get out from it. The action parts were done smartly, the viewer never knows what is going to happen next. The acting from everyone on set is also done with great style, Walter Hill arms to be able to do this with every movie I have seen of his and I haven't seen all of them. One of the best sequences that gives off to me, the ultimate claustrophobic feel to it is the scene in the Cajun village near the end of the film, the scene is done with over music that cranks the scene up by 100. This should be one of those movies you have to see before you die. This film has stood the test of time and still works today.

Comparison to Deliverance is inevitable. I first saw this in the mid 80's. Well, that time i found it to be jus a survival/action movie. Saw it few months back. Found it to be more than jus a survival flick. It's more of an allegory to war. It teaches us to respect other cultures n to behave in alien territories. The acting is top notch. Excellent cinematography by Andrew Laszlo. The swamps are beautifully captured. Then there's the superb soundtrack by Ry Cooder. The whole ensemble cast is excellent. Keith Carradine, Powers Booth, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote, Sonny Landham n Brion James. The movie is well shot. Hats off to Walter Hill. The locations feel authentic, damp and eerie. Terrific atmosphere gives this movie a major boost. Terror and paranoia is captured very well especially in the town at the very end.

Brilliantly shot war movie involving a squad of reservists on a training exercise expecting anything but real warfare. Works in so many ways, has visual power, great action, is a tense thriller as the squad is picked off one by one, is a decent low art picture because of the great setting, the foreign feel of it, the Vietnam angle, great photography, incredible atmosphere it creates and not least the stunning music score. Wildly watchable and memorable film.The simple plot line with stupid characters doing stupid things as the unbelievable catalyst for events is questionable as ever and the acting so-so overall but Boothe puts in one of the best 'no crap' performances you'll see, and what an underused actor he was. And it has clever and inventive devices such as the use of blanks by soldiers against the live ammo of swamp dwelling hillbillies, resulting in a fantastically orchestrated action finale as the two remaining reservists have to rely on pure soldiery to survive. It's a belter!