Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote, T.K. Carter, Brion James
Running Time: 105 minutes
Synopsis: It's 1973 in rural Louisiana, and National Guard soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Poole (Peter Coyote) convene for a training exercise in the swamplands. The minimally competent men are armed with blank bullets, and include newcomer Hardin (Power Boothe), the easygoing Spencer (Keith Carradine), and the intense Reece (Fred Ward). Early in their training mission, the guardsmen antagonize Cajun hunters who live in the dense woods, triggering violence. The inexperienced Casper (Les Lannom) is forced to take command, while Hardin and Spencer realize they are being ruthlessly hunted deep in hostile territory.
What Works Well: This powerful metaphor for the Vietnam War drops poorly trained and ill-equipped soldiers into a fog-shrouded forest, and allows the conflict between hubris and locals to unfold with relentless intensity. Director Walter Hill packs plenty of individual personality into the men, while majestic Andrew Laszlo cinematography and Ry Cooder's music score create disorientation in outdoor terrain. The limited visibility, absence of landmarks, and swampy waters spill off the screen, and once the mission unravels, discipline disintegrates and the guardsmen fracture into individuals. Powers Boothe as Hardin and Keith Carradine as Spencer stand out by adhering to personal codes rather than any loyalty to the unit.
What Does Not Work As Well: Once the premise is set, the whittling away of the group proceeds on a linear path, and the you-don't-belong-here anti-war message is none too subtle.
Key Quote:
Sergeant Poole (puzzled by an unexpected body of water): Either this map is wrong, or all of a sudden I can't find my way around the block.
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