Immigrant experience vs. Vietnam War

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2006)

I've read a number of comments of how this is not a good Vietnam era movie. Well, it was not intended to be that. In an interview I saw with the writer, he states that he had written a story depicting the experience he had as an Eastern European immigrant in the US, living (in a predominantly Russian I believe) industrial town. There is a certain sense of searching for an identity. I mean let's face it most movies about that time period do not depict such cultural traditions like we see in Deer Hunter; they are usually set in the background of suburban "apple pie" America. Notice that in one scene Nick is asked if his name is Russian and he sternly says "American". I think that's the kind of sense that the writer was trying to go with. The simplicity of the story, really reminds me of what the average blue collar guy goes through and it really is a tribute to that.