Southern Comfort (1981)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Michael Kane (written by) and
Walter Hill (written by) ...

Release Date:

22 January 1982 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

The bayou has its own law... and they just broke it.

Plot:

A squad of National Guards on an isolated weekend exercise in the Louisiana swamp must fight for their...

Plot Keywords:

Cajun | Swamp | National Guard | Louisiana | Blank Bullet

Cast

Keith Carradine	...	Pfc. Spencer
Powers Boothe	...	Cpl. Charles Hardin
Fred Ward	...	Cpl. Lonnie Reece
Franklyn Seales	...	Pfc. Simms
T.K. Carter	...	Pfc. Tyrone Cribbs
Lewis Smith	...	Pfc. Stuckey
Les Lannom	...	Sgt. Casper
Peter Coyote	...	Staff Sgt. Crawford Poole
Alan Autry	...	Cpl. 'Coach' Bowden (as Carlos Brown)
Brion James	...	Cajun Trapper
Sonny Landham	...	Hunter
Allan Graf	...	Hunter
Ned Dowd	...	Hunter
Rob Ryder	...	Hunter
Greg Guirard	...	Cajun Couple

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Switzerland | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Denmark:15 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 (2000) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Caddo Lake, Texas, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

The use of the phrase 'Southern Comfort' as the title of the film, which was meant ironically, had to be cleared by the Brown-Forman Corporation, who own the rights to the phrase (they make the liqueur of the same name).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the dog attack, the protective pads on the men's arms are clearly visible.

Quotes:

Simms: Why are we following this dumb bastard?
Stuckey: Because he's got stripes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Leech Woman (#9.2)" (1997)

Southern Greetings.

Now this is a atmospheric survival action film and Walter Hill at his peak. Love it! It's so simple (although streaming through it is a biting allegory about the Vietnam War), but nonetheless exhilarating, tense and raw film-making. Sure the acting and dialogues aren't master-class, but however they're commendably pulled off. In which case Powers Boothe (whose booming voice takes charge) and Keith Carradine (excellently pitched as the guy of reasoning) are terrific leads, and the support Fred Ward (a memorably hot-head and tooting turn), T.K Carter, Lewis Smith, Franklyn Seales, Peter Coyote and Brion James are also quite compelling. Tough, authentic and a real sense of claustrophobic tension stems from the actor's rapport and cynical script. This blends well with the brutal bloody violence (like the barnstorming climax with the powerful freeze frame closing) and the dank, devouring swamp terrain that ultimately swallows them up. But where I think it's at its most effective is during the interludes of Ry Cooder's fascinatingly folksy music score. Each time it creeps in, it demonstrates the right illustrations to the striking visuals and harrowing moods. Cooder's handling is multi-layered and truly echoing. From a relaxing southern flavour, to a haunting stillness and a punishing sting. It's cohesively perfect in it's random shifts. Hill's bravura direction holds up tautly, as the well-used slow motion is suitably done and the highly measured suspense piercingly infused. I liked how the hunters are kept as void-like background figures, because towards the end it makes the whole paranoid feeling and unease thrillingly justified.