The ending, the last 5-10 seconds, of Southern Comform don't make any sense to me. I have it on DVD and watched it like 5 times. When the two survivors finally find army trucks and helicopters, the film's editing and sound gets all scary and foreboding - what does this mean? Shouldn't there be relief and happiness?
<I>If you think you know a lot, you probably don't.</I>
It's still a great movie, hadn't seen it for 15 years, and despite the beautiful nature, it's very claustrophobic. The final scene is a classic, Balfa's music, Boothe's fear, Carradine's naive pleasure, the 2 pigs (everytime the number of survivors comes by) getting shot.
We used to live in a redneck town, and moved after our windows were smashed at night, the years after that, people in town seemed very hostile, (only we dind't bully anyone) it's so recognisable to see the men walking around between people where they don't belong.
maybe the army truck was full of soldiers and they were coming to raid the village, and a real american insurgencie would have been born, EWWW, southern comfort 2?!
shareGreat movie, Now my take on it is quite simple "You don't sh*t in my yard!" The main point that i got is some Reserves and some TA in the UK can get a bit bored.
When you got to keep the haircut even when you're not "On" folks tend to get a bit ichy. You boost fellas up to being boss of bosses and then let them loose, even for a weekend they can over step their stuff. Some guy's feet are still on the ground but others will switch on and go as they see fit. This is why in the UK they only let these guys play in WIDE open spaces cos anything down range is game. The fact that they fire blanks at "Civilians" is only down the fact that they only have blanks, the boys are on wargames and that is what they are doing. The retaliation from the cayjons is more than understandable "You shoot at me, Blanks or not, I shoot back" The final sequences during the party are very cool because even though the troops are being treated well they are still switched on, the slightest comment, movement or change in the environment will invoke massive paranoia and even though the guys left are the ones with their heads screwed on it may still become a "kill every motherfu**er in the room" situation. Taking the knife and doing a quick patrol is quite logical in that mindset as anything could happen. The Cayjons are as out of order as the NG as they merrily commit murder time and time again, the NG are out of order for firing in the first place. The guys that are left are simply trying to survive. Great movie as it takes the craziness of men and the pressure of paranoia and sort of mixes it in a big movie cocktail shaker before serving it up for all.
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I think the lack of equipment and faulty maps were just regular miltary SNAFU's. I recall a Vietnam vet giving me his US Army issued compass, and West and East were mixed up! On a compass!!! I regret losing it during a move because I was so boggled by it. The National Guard was not behind them getting lost and eventually killed, it was their own doing. It was surprising that they only had the one compass, but either way they should have been able to find their way during daytime.
shareI don't think there was any great meaning to the ending at all. I think it was just designed to evoke the mental state that the survivors were in.
Ever see pictures or footage of people suffering from extreme contact fatigue, or hear their accounts? There is a sense of complete sensory overload leading to total numbness and detachment. This the sensation I get when I see the end...by this point the two Guardsmen (and the viewer) are so far into the abyss that they can barely remember who the good guys even are.
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Its a whatever happens next will happen moment. Not unlike Ripley standing on the collapsing structure at the end of Aliens. Her and Newt are finished as far as she is concerned and resigns herself to that until Bishop shows up with transport back to the ship.
The two troopers are resigned to their fate and that's why they give themselves a what happens now look.
Fortunately it's a US truck and they are saved.
I assume the ending it shows a truck and military helicopter about to rescue them, but it shows fright and surprise on the faces of the two men. They see a truck not knowing it's occupants then a helicopter. They think they made it out the swamp. My instincts tell me both the helicopter and truck are occupied with local Cajuns and they are about to get they're pound of flesh.
shareBeen a while. I recall a final closeup shot of the ID on the vehicles. They were military. They were friendlies. Their nightmare was over and they were about to be rescued.
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