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Walter Hill's "Southern Comfort" is an atmospheric and well-acted action thriller. It grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the last frame. The plot concerns a group of National Guard trainees (portrayed by Keith Carradine and Fred Ward, among others) who find themselves stranded in the dank swamps of Louisiana. You see, they agitate the local Cajuns by shooting at them, stealing their canoes, and cutting their fishing lines. Now, with little ammo and stranded in an unfamiliar territory, the soldiers are hunted by the bloodthirsty assassins. The acting, as I have stated before, is fantastic. The characters could have been two-dimensional caricatures, but the leads fortunately come through, and then some. I must also commend Brion James for his portrayal of the "is he a bad guy or not?" Cajun trapper. Though most of his lines weren't in English, his riveting performance stood out. The almost nightmare-inducing atmosphere is incredibly beautiful and unnerving. From the towering, baren trees to the knee-high, murky waters, the whole bayou feels like a villain in of itself. I'm quite sure that after viewing this, you'll think twice about visiting a swamp. In conclusion, Southern Comfort isn't an unforgettable piece of cinema, but those looking for a well-exectued thriller should give this a try.Read full review
This is an old movie and from what I can tell, it is pretty rare. It tells a story about a group of nine soldiers, National Guardsmen, weekend warriors, who as a group have no common sense at all. First of all they are on a training exercise, so they have no (unless some was smuggled) live ammunition. Second, they are dropped into the South Louisiana swamps for this survival type of mission, and these guys can't take orders. Anyone who knows this area, and the people who live there and make a living there, knows that this a place where even in the best of times, you walk softly. Parts of this area still has black and brown bears, bobcats, all kinds of spiders, venomous snakes, platter sized snapping turtles that can take off a hand, and alligators the size of boats. In addition to all that, many of the indigenous people are of Cajun decent. This is their home; they were born here, and many speak French, with English as a second language, if at all. Many of these swamp people are undereducated and don't push easily. Heck, the police don't even mess with these people. These idiot soldiers are undiciplined and childish and become lost in the swamps. Everything looks the same here, and without a compass, you can die here. One group of guardsmen steals a canoe and the owner begins to track them. When the soldiers start shooting at the guy, with blanks, he shoots back, and a soldier is killed. Eventually, one of the guardsmen shoots the guy killing him, and a guerrilla type war begins. Being lost in this place is like being lost and unarmed in the Mekong Delta in 1968. These Cajuns group together and show these guys just why, as Jim Croce would say, "You don't Pull on Superman's Cape", and "You don't Spit into the Wind", and "You Don't Mess Around With Jim". This is a good movie. You'll enjoy it. . .Read full review
Many have asked me the question what was there that made me choose? One thing first that is important to understand is that men above all else seek after power. In the beginning scenes the audience is introduced to the realities of enlisted servicemen deployed on a mission for real. Although the concealed agenda has been overlooked by the participants in this drama every one in the national guard's patrol in the Louisiana bayou portrays true to life form. Someone had to boiled down into a nutshell. Masquerading itself as an innocent tactical operation in the field under-currents of social upheaval are exposed between the establishment and local militiamen. The powers that be are very real. Who really is the winner in this clash of philosophies? No doubts as the play ended it was by no means final. Cannot wait to see any sequel because given the degree of mayhem acted out people have got to hear it's safe again.Read full review
Excellent movie. Very realistic. Both Keith Carradine and Powers Booth offer powerful performances in this movie, as do Fred Ward and Carlos Brown, a.k.a Alan Autry. More than just an action movie, Southern Comfort is a very interesting study of human nature and human reactions to stress and fear. While the scenery in the movie is indeed beautiful, the movie was actually shot on Caddo Lake, more than a hundred miles north of the Atchafalaya Basin in which it supposedly takes place. When I was a child, my Dad used to take me fishing and frog gigging on Caddo Lake. And the music is outstanding. Ry Cooter's score and the use of authentic Cajun music and Cajun performers adds a tremendous depth to the movie. This is, indeed, one of my all time favorite movies and a treasured addition to my movie collection.Read full review
This movie will go down as a classic - already is one in my book! Having traveled myself by water through the Cajun swamp country of southern Louisiana, I can attest to the movie's authenticity of the people and the land (or water). Plot seems really believable. Tense circumstances only worsen for the naive guardsmen who are way out of their element in the swamp. The old one-armed Cajun tells the guardsmen near the end just exactly how it is in "their" swampland! An early portrayal by Tom Berenger compliments the roles played by Booth and Carradine. I like Peter Coyote, but he fades out early in movie. It's real war, but the warriors are no match for the locals.
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