As the world anxiously wonders whether shooting war would actually start in Eastern Europe, people familiar with history would be even more anxious, knowing that some apocalyptic conflicts with even more apocalyptic long term consequences started over something that looked petty and stupid from the perspective of later historians. Somewhat similar kind of situation is basis for the plot of Southern Comfort, 1981 action film directed by Walter Hill, title which is often referenced as the finest in that director’s filmography, yet also known as one of the most underappreciated films of its time.
The plot is set in 1973 Louisiana during National Guard manoeuvres. Protagonists are nine members of the squad which is ordered to march through local bayous. Unlike the squad leader, Staff Sergeant Poole (played by Peter Coyote), experienced Vietnam War veteran, the rest of squad is made of reservists or “weekend warriors” who generally don’t take soldiering very seriously, with possible exception of cynical Corporal Hardin (played by Powers Boothe) who has recently been transferred from Texas. Their mission soon starts to go wrong when they discover that a river switched course, making their maps useless and creating large body of water between them and designated designation. Poole reluctantly agrees to solve that problem by “borrowing” couple of pirogues apparently left by Cajun trappers. When the squad actually encounters Cajuns, attempt to settle issue in peaceful manner fail because Private Stuckey (played by Lewis Smith) tries to scare them off by half-jokingly shooting blanks from machine gun. Much to squad’s surprise, Cajuns instead return fire with real bullets and kill Poole. In the ensuing mayhem squad loses compass, maps and radio and, to make things even worse, command is taken over by pompous and clearly incompetent Sergeant Casper (played by Les Lannom). Soon it turns out that Cajuns are determined to finish the conflict in their own way and use traps, hunting dogs and familiarity of terrain to kill squad’s members one by one. As squad numbers dwindle, remaining survivors must use all their ingenuity and determination to leave bayou and reach safety of civilisation.
Despite Hill’s claims to the contrary, Southern Comfort is generally seen as a metaphor for American experience during Vietnam War. It is easy to draw parallels between that conflict and what happens in this film – American soldiers enter hostile land that they don’t know nor understand and where their superior technology and military training proves to be worthless against primitive but tenacious and efficient enemy. This also might explain why Southern Comfort failed at the US box office, with American audience, with psychological wounds still fresh, apparently still unable to confront what really went on jungles of Southeast Asia. Apart from history, Hill drew inspiration from famous 1970s films – John Boorman’s Deliverance (using motive of sophisticated city slickers having to survive in conflict with primitive but dangerous rednecks) and Hill’s own The Warriors, which also featured small band having to survive trek over hostile territory after losing the leader. Hill, then at the peak of his career, directed Southern Comfort superbly, with impeccable sense of pacing and by putting claustrophobic settings of primordial swamp and huge trees to excellent use. Hill also created some great action pieces which included not only shootings, but fist fights and one of the most impressive knife fight in history of cinema. Action is at times enhanced with brief and but effective slow motion shots, and the final showdown, that takes place in Cajun settlement, is edited and staged in wonderful way, with great deal of suspense.
Like all great action films, Southern Comfort relies very much on a good script and takes great effort to create characters whose fate would ultimately concern audience when the action starts. Hill and his co-writers David Giler and Michael Kane created nine characters which, in some way, represent microcosm of America with different racial background, education, world view and, ultimately, different methods of solving problems and acting under adverse conditions. Some become pathetic cowards, some turn into bloodthirsty maniacs, some act like buffoons and only small number ultimately do the right thing. This concept works because of a remarkable cast which include great character actors, like Peter Coyote, Lewis Smith and Fred Ward as ultra-machistic Corporal Reece. They are joined by Brion James, another great actor who plays relatively small but important role of captured one-armed Cajun trapper, character ingeniously introduced to give audience some insight into Cajuns (which until the end remain mostly unseen) and their point of view. Southern Comfort is in many ways an ensemble piece, but some actors stand out more than others simply because of their characters manage to survive. In this film, sometimes compared with slasher films that used to be popular time, equivalent of Final Girls are played by Powers Boothe, an intense actor who was rarely a star and Keith Carradine, member of famous acting dynasty, here playing Spencer, soldier who is at first at odds with Hardin before realising that both, unlike their comrades, share some common sense that would help them to survive. Brilliant acting continues until the end, when those same characters act very differently just before they would finally have to rely on each other in final fight with their pursuers.
If there is a flaw in this film it might be found in rather uninspiring musical score by Ry Cooder, composer who had much better collaboration with Hill in his other films. Music becomes interesting only at the end during the scene when survivors join Cajun celebrations in friendly and seemingly safe settlement, which is opportunity to hear some authentic Cajun music. Some sensitive viewers might be disturbed by explicit scenes of animals being gutted and generally grim tone of the isn’t like to improve mood of the audience that needs some cheering up in these dark times. For others, Southern Comfort might be recommended as one of those great action films that they don’t make anymore.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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