Tweekums 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.

kjjames81 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.

Leofwine_draca While at first glance the plot might not seem to be anything special - just a rehash of the DELIVERANCE story with a little bit of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians thrown in, this is in fact a deeply engrossing and excellent thriller. I actually consider it to be a better film than DELIVERANCE, and it succeeds in every respect. A modern comparison to this film would be THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT albeit in a different genre, as both films contain a lost party of people being stalked ruthlessly by an unseen and disturbing presence in the woods.The tension remains taut from the word go in this film, and the suspense steadily increases until the final chilling frames. There is no escape, no surrender, no lovey-dovey stuff in this film, only death and isolation. It's also a lot more horrific than many so-called horror films of the time, which simply pale in comparison to this. The acting is uniformly excellent, with the actors (there are no actresses whatsoever) bringing depth to their initially cold and compassionless roles of soldiers. It's the fact that we care about the soldiers which makes the film really upsetting, and, dare I say it, frightening. The cold, wet setting is put across well as we watch the men trudge through muddy water and lurk in desolate clearings, every moment draining their vitality.The deaths, when they do come, are quick and shocking. They're also extremely varied, I mean we've got everything in this film: shooting, stabbing, hanging, you name it. One man is even caught in a jungle trap of which the Italians were so fond. There are plenty of disturbing moments, such as a bit where the corpses of the dead are discovered tied to a pole, having been dug up. Or when one soldier kills another after a bloodthirsty Cajun shouts "kill him!" in a total frenzy - there is something evil in his expression, the malice shows. The ending of the film promises an initial salvation, but there is something not quite right, and sure enough events explode into a final fight for life. The suspense isn't over until the final frame of the film which reveals as to whether the two survivors actually make it or not. Don't be put off by the fact this is labelled as an action film or a thriller, it's in reality a bone-scratching tale of desperation and inevitability. And of course, you just can't miss it. Sure, some bits are slow, but overall the film is totally brilliant.

george_the_jack What could have been a great story for a good thriller is ruined by the remarkably sub-par acting.Except from ''Harding'' the rest of the actors do seem like street actors or amateurs and this fact subsequently results in the role development of the film. Even Carradine is not good here.A shame really as the story and the idea behind it could have made a great movie.I wouldn't say I've spent my best 75 minutes of my life watching ''Southern Comfort''. Sorry to say.If you want to judge by yourselves, give this a shot but frankly don't expect too much.