Red Dawn (1984)

Director:

John Milius

Writers:

John Milius (writer)
Kevin Reynolds (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A full scale military invasion by foreign troops begins. Total surprise. Almost total success . . . .

Plot:

It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers bands together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.

Plot Keywords:

High School | Invasion | Concentration Camp | Helicopter | Warfare

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Patrick Swayze	...	Jed
C. Thomas Howell	...	Robert
Lea Thompson	...	Erica
Charlie Sheen	...	Matt
Darren Dalton	...	Daryl
Jennifer Grey	...	Toni
Brad Savage	...	Danny
Doug Toby	...	Aardvark
Ben Johnson	...	Mason
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Mr. Eckert
Ron O'Neal	...	Bella
William Smith	...	Strelnikov
Vladek Sheybal	...	Bratchenko
Powers Boothe	...	Andy
Frank McRae	...	Mr. Teasdale

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Johnson Mesa, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Valkyrie Films

Trivia:

This film was entered into the Guinness Book of Records as having the most acts of violence of any film up to that time. It was calculated that on average an act of violence occurs at a rate of 134 per hour or 2.23 per minute.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Colonel Bella's subordinate always addresses him with "Si, Senor." In the Cuban army, he would call his superior officer "Mi Coronel."

Quotes:

Mr. Mason: [the Wolverines arrive at the Mason house, where they will be joined by Toni and Erica] We got us some outlaws here.
Jed Eckert: Wow, a house.
Mr. Mason: Go on and find a chair.
Robert: Last time we were in a house was five weeks.
Mr. Mason: You look it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)

The parallels are striking

John Milius has given us a striking template of a movie with Red Dawn. Resistance to foreign occupation follows certain patterns no matter where or under what circumstances and the movie pushes a remarkable number of emotional buttons along the way. I have watched it many times.

Consider: Collaboration with the occupiers. Young people as the most passionate among the resistance. Conflicted occupiers, some believing themselves righteous and others with doubts. Ambush as the main tactic of the resistance. Resistance fighters operating right under the noses of the occupiers. Occupiers baffled by what they see as an alien culture. Soldiers of the occupied country clandestinely helping the resistance.

Now think about Iraq and who the Wolvlerines are there.