Writer-director Walter Hill later said he was "always amazed" by the reception to the film: "The American reception was a real kind of nothing. But it was very nicely received around the world."
Director Walter Hill later said he enjoyed the experience of making the film but that it was tough: "I was very proud of the actors in it. It was a tough movie to make, and they put up with a lot. They would probably tell you they put up with a lot from me [laughs]. But they really did it without complaint. And I just thought I was very fortunate to have the cast that I had. Jesus, it was a hard movie to make . . . '
This movie has been read as a metaphor or an allegory for the Vietnam War, although director Walter Hill has explicitly stated he doesn't think such a reading is valid.
Filming the movie on location in the Louisiana swamps proved to be a very rough and rigorous ordeal. It was so cold and wet almost every day that many cast and crew members came down with the flu during the shoot.