Red Dawn
Released in 1984 at the height of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War, this film by conservative writer / director John Milius certainly depicted the worst case paranoia nightmare felt by Americans at the time: That Russian forces (combined with Cubans and Nicaraguans) would launch a ground invasion of the United States, aided by strategic nuclear strikes that would cripple our ability to respond, and then proceed to go through our neighborhoods house by house, using public records to identify all the registered gun owners (i.e. conservatives) so that they can be rounded up and shot, while establishing themselves as occupiers of our land. Problem is, a group of teenagers that have slipped through their fingers have gotten out to the mountains with food and ammo, and decide to launch guerilla attacks against the Commies, picking them off one (or a few) at a time and instilling fear in their ranks. Milius should certainly be commended for not going the mindless jingoistic patriotic route with this material, and (with the exception of the rousing score and a couple of juvenile moments) keeping the story bleak, nihilistic, and uncompromising, so much so that the viewer almost canât wait for the movie to finish because itâs just so damn depressing. Certainly some liberties can be taken with the plausibility of such an event, most notably the enormous logistics it would require to invade a country such as ours, not to mention having a President at the time like Reagan would make such a venture seem foolhardy at best, though with our current administration and the valid fears of many that China might have some ideas in mind help make this more relevant today than it was over 25 years ago, and thus more frightening. The cast consists of a number of up and coming future stars, including Patrick Swayze leading the charge as the ex-high school quarterback who teaches the others about surviving in the wild; Charlie Sheen showing his tigerâs blood as the loyal kid brother; Lea Thompson displaying an almost feral sex appeal as the teenage girl (along with Jennifer Grey) who joins their ranks; and C. Thomas Howell as the kid who develops into a nicely cold-blooded killer in his own right after hearing how the Soviets executed his father. Others in the cast include Harry Dean Stanton as Swayze and Sheenâs father; Ben Johnson as the old codger who gives the kids aid and shelter; Ron âSuperflyâ OâNeal as the Cuban commander nicely given a sympathetic edge; William âBig Billâ Smith as the Russian Colonel in charge of tracking the kids down; and perhaps best of all Powers Boothe as the shot down military pilot who joins the kids and teaches them about tactical maneuvers even as Thompson develops a cute schoolgirl crush on him. Admittedly the script is very lacking when it comes to character development, with a number of the kids in the group being glorified extras and some real groaners in the dialogue department, most notably in the (subtitled) Russian characters and especially when Stanton from behind a cyclone fence in a re-education enter implores his sons to âAvenge me! Avenge me!â. As said, the film is perhaps one of the most depressing ever released by a major studio, and Milius smartly reinforces the notion that even while fighting for our freedom, win or lose, our lives will NEVER go back to normal and the way things were ever, which leaves one not so much fired up and wanting to take up arms in the event of such a thing happening but rather thinking that the lucky ones would probably be those who are the first to die. This of course bolsters the case that to prevent a real life recreation of this film, we must begin to start electing strong leaders who will leave no doubt that our country is the strongest in the world while us citizens are allowed to enjoy and appreciate the freedoms that we all share, free of radical proclivities due to the grossly misguided stances on social issues that a rapidly shrinking minority continue to carry. Overall, while not a great film, one that shows that our once-great country can be strong againâŚ
7/10