The writers of this movie take war from an alien country and show how the stupidity of soldiers can wreak havoc when cultural differences are ignored. When contrasted with American behaviour in Iraq and other areas around the world, it reveals a perverted weakness that can backfire so easily on those with weapons in their hands. The escalation of fear between the soldiers and their unseen unknown combatants is deftly handled. The earlier comments regarding how the National Guard treat its own citizens is extended to the locals as the film progresses. The use of a foreign language by the captured local emphasises the lack of any education in handling cultural differences by the soldiers. They make a terrible faux par in using the possessions of the locals and playing a joke on them which culminates in the nightmare that extends throughout the entire length of the movie. The worst thing is that the intelligent innocents within the party are taken along for the ride and are captivated by their colleagues stupidity. An excellent portrayal of ethnocentrism.
Review of Southern Comfort
