Flawed

Rating: Null/10 (11 September 2008)

This appears to be a message movie, but the message gets lost in an unsteady screenplay that can't seem to decide where it's going. Too bad, because the Boz character is fascinating, while several scenes are powerfully done. One problem is that the time and place is very specific, Fort Polk, 1971. By that time, the Vietnam war had become highly politicized even among rank and file soldiers, while peace symbols sprouted everywhere. The military was facing a growing mutiny as discipline was breaking down both at home and abroad.
Now the logical thing would be to connect Boz's rebelliousness to the anti-war movement. That would explain what otherwise remains vague-- his reasons for bucking the system. However, there are only passing references to the crisis then facing the military professionals. Thus, a very politicized period is de-politicized, leaving Boz's rebellion with a purely personal and unexplained attitude.
So, as the rather incredible ending shows and despite his previous behavior, Boz never had anything principled against the war or even the military (though he understands its de- humanizing methods). Instead, he responds to the demands of friendship (Paxton) and an unselfish desire not to have someone else risk death in his place. Thus, he emerges at the end as something of a mythologized Christ figure which is why the script leaves his fate so uncertain. As a result, what started out as a message movie ends rather confusingly as a character study. At the same time, the anti-military message morphs abruptly into a pro-war apology to the training sergeant-- a disastrous move for the film as a whole.
There's another shift that undercuts the cumulative impact. The original conflict is that between Boz and the army as he skirts regulations, disrespects his superiors, and returns recruits to civilian life who should be returned. But halfway through, the conflict morphs into a struggle between Boz and the unbalanced Wilson. The trouble is that this personal feud isolates the conflict causing the story to lose further focus such that no clear message or impact emerges at the end. This is a movie of parts, whose sum-total unfortunately undermines the whole.
I suspect the movie had either limited theatrical release or went right to cable. That's too bad, because with clearer concepts the result could have been memorable. Several of the scenes are really strong, especially the personal confessions. They're movingly done and by relatively unknown actors. Also the filming techniques (staging, camera set-ups, etc.) are excellent and help compensate for the muddled script. Unfortunately, however, they can't salvage the basic flaws in how the story develops.