Southern Comfort (1981)

November 28, 2024 12:44 PM

[Trailer] During a routine exercise, a team of National Guardsmen are threatened by angry and violent locals. -- IMDb

78% / 75% on RottenTomatoes.

Available on various streaming services.

posted by johnofjack (2 comments total)

The IMDb post undersells the motivation, I think.

spoiler

The National Guardsmen stole three canoes, left a note, but then one of them fired blanks at the owners when they saw what was happening. Given the language barrier, I think violence was likely.

I'm not sure if this was an accurate portrayal of National Guardsmen at the time, but I hope it isn't an accurate portrayal of them today. I found most of the characters so loathsome that I'm not even sure I experienced this film the way the filmmakers intended. (I do remember at one point saying "When are the rest of these assholes going to die?")

Still, it was a compelling watch.
posted by johnofjack at 12:47 PM on November 28

I'm always a bit torn by this film. I kind of like it but as someone of Acadian descent (Cajuns were originally East Coast French Canadians) I have mixed feelings. This aren't generic hillbillies like in Deliverance, which clearly this is influenced by, but are specifically Cajuns so the othering is pointed and with purpose. By 1981, Cajuns were in the process of recovering from years of othering with the rediscovery of their food and music doing the heavy lifting there. While I think the Guardsmen don't come off really as heroes, they are pretty arrogant and ignorant, so I'm not entirely sure what we are to make of it. I've heard it argued that it is a metaphor for US involvement in Vietnam and general American imperialism. Which if you squint I kind of buy. Regardless I think it works mostly because it is pretty atmospheric and has decent cinematography for a B picture.

There's not a lot of "cajunsploitation" films (Swamp Water, Thunder Bay, Alligator People, Bayou / Poor White Trash (with Timothy Carey as a Cajun creep), Gator Bait and this film are the main ones I know) that I can think of so while I was looking for other films I found this regarding Southern Comfort:

Sept. 25, 1981 - Cajuns don't appreciate new movie

posted by Ashwagandha at 10:10 AM on November 29 [3 favorites]