Rent The Odd Angry Shot (1979)
3.4 of 5 from 56 ratings
1h 28min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Set during the Vietnam War, The Odd Angry Shot depicts life in Australia as it was before, during and following the war. Times and lifestyles were much simpler and societal roles were more defined. After his 21st birthday, Bill (John Jarratt) goes to fight in Vietnam, as part of the Australian forces. He's in the Special Air Services, elite professional soldiers who look down on the 'nashos', the conscripted troops. Bill's best mate is the jovial and older Harry (Graham Kennedy), a likeable cynic. The rest include Rogers (Bryan Brown), Dawson (Graeme Blundell), Scott (Ian Gilmour) and later, Bung (John Hargreaves) - all young men who believe they're fighting for their country. Their daily life in camp consists of rain, beer, cards and bad food, punctuated by the sporadic excitement and terror of jungle patrols. Their numbers dwindle as their tour progresses, in a series of realistically portrayed skirmishes with the enemy. As the body count rises, Bill counts the days till he can go home, but what awaits? - Actors:
- Graham Kennedy, John Hargreaves, John Jarratt, Bryan Brown, Graeme Blundell, Richard Moir, Ian Gilmour, Graham Rouse, John Allen, Tony Barry, Brandon Burke, John Fitzgerald, Mike Harris, Johnny Garfield, Ray Meagher
- Directors:
- Tom Jeffrey
- Producers:
- Tom Jeffrey, Sue Milliken
- Writers:
- Tom Jeffrey, William L. Nagle
- Studio:
- Final Cut
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure
- Collections:
- Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films of 1979
- Countries:
- Australia
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Reviews (1) of The Odd Angry Shot
Beer Hunters - The Odd Angry Shot review by Steve
There can't be many Hollywood comedies about the war in Vietnam. There's MASH (1970) set in Korea, but that's about educated medics. So this irreverent Australian story of working class larrikins getting by in 'Nam while squeezed between boredom and bloodshed, brings a different mentality to the 1970s war picture.
William Nagle's source novel was a bestseller down under. His characters are in the Aussie SAS, though the author was a cook, which gives an idea of how unheroic this is. The soldiers are usually gambling or drinking Fosters from an esky, between a few brief forays into enemy territory, which seem to have no purpose.
There may be little of the soul searching and angst of the many US blockbusters about the conflict and its consequences... and there's no soundtrack of contemporary hits. But the themes are the same; the folks back home don't want to hear about the war and none of the soldiers will be acknowledged on their return.
The men make a likeable mob, with Graham Kennedy the purveyor of pessimistic wisdom, Bryan Brown as a laconic, inscrutable bogan while John Jarratt plays the new recruit whose letters from home are drying up. The knockabout banter leaves an impression of futility, and of working class kids getting stiffed yet again.
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