Who'll Stop the Rain

I saw this again on the TV a few days ago, and it reminded me of just how good it was. It's nothing special to look at, but the script is great and it's well acted. Nick Nolte is one of my favourite actors, and Richard Masur and Ray Sharkey make a wonderful pair of goons.

"Who'll Stop the Rain" is an edge of your seat thriller set during the Viet Nam war. It features one of the early successes of Nick Nolte.

The story opens in Viet Nam where a burnt out reporter (Michael Moriarity) tries to make some easy money by smuggling two kilos of heroin (rather than his usual marijuana) to the U.S. He enlists as his currier Nolte who is somewhat reluctant at first but agrees. Nolte shows up at Moriarity's home to collect his fee from Moriarity's wife (Tuesday Weld) and then the fun begins. Two bogus federal agents (Richard Mazur, Ray Sharkey) begin to lay claim to the smack. They are joined later in the chase by their boss, a corrupt federal agent (Anthony Zerbe).

The performances are top notch all around. Nolte is suitably macho in one of his first big roles. Weld is overwhelmed by the events but soon gives in to Nolte's plans. Moriarity is also good as the naive husband who thinks he can make a quick buck to compensate him for the horrors he has experienced in Viet Nam. Mazur and Sharkey are outstanding as the brutal sadistic heavies and Zerbe is as slimey as ever as the chief baddie.

The Nolte character is somewhat of a mystery (at least to me). Who is he? What is he doing in Viet Nam? Is he a soldier of fortune, a mercenary? or what? He has a run down shack in Los Angeles where he has buried an assault rifle. In Arizona he has an elaborate mountain top hideaway complete with an amphitheater and loudspeakers that play Hank Jones music. None of this is explained to my satisfaction.

What the movie does have is a good story great acting and an entertaining soundtrack featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Released in 1978 with the "bigger" Vietnam films (THE DEER HUNTER, COMING HOME), this is an under appreciated gem. Nick Nolte showed signs of becoming a solid leading man with his work here as action junkie Ray Hicks. The supporting cast in smaller, important roles bolsters a tight, moving film. Richard Mazur and Ray Sharkey are ultimate psychos and Charles Haid, as the weasel dope dealer are great. Like Karl Reiz's previous gem (THE GAMBLER), this film deserved to be bigger.

A remarkable performance from Nick Nolte. It makes you wonder why he hasn't achieved greater status than he has. His performance as Ray Hicks in this movie is just overpowering. An intelligent, highly-capable, although somewhat anti-social man who has been sneered at and kicked on one too many times. He is a true "Dog Soldier", and has not ever had anything easy in his life. His is a life of hard knocks and hard roads, and he doesn't shy away from either.

He exhibits his rock-solid beliefs in old-school virtues, such as, loyalty, true friendship and caring, and defending the people you care about with your life. A truly remarkable film, and a truly remarkable performance by Nolte. Nolte simply dominates every scene he's in.

Criticised for it's amorality and drug use I personally can see Dog Soldiers as nothing else than an anti-drugs film. The heroin that caused such misery and death ends up in the sand by choice. Sickened and disillusioned after Nam, Converse, played brilliantly by Micheal Moriaty virtually blackmails his friend Ray Hicks into smuggling in some Heroin in a cynical what-the-hell gesture against the world. His wife is already hooked on prescription drugs and eventually goes on the heroin. He is out of his league and is forced by corrupt policemen to hunt down Hicks and his wife after they go on the run with the smack. Hicks is a violent man, recently turned on to Nietchze by Converse who considers Hicks a psychopath and is through "taking sh*t from inferior people", vowing destruction on anyone who takes him on. Falling in love with the girl Hick's reveals a surprising tenderness in looking after her. The Converses are seemingly indifferent to Hicks until they realise too late the unexpected Christian sacrifice he makes on their behalf although they wronged him and were unworthy of it.

Nolte, an actor allegedly as eccentric as his fictional character, gives a

multi-faceted and compelling performance as the alienated Hicks. The powerful ending and gesture by the man gives hope and suggests that ultimately friendship is the one true gift one can give to another outside the cynical buying and selling of people as represented by the heroin. Some uneven pacing is the only flaw in an adult, gripping, unusual and often witty American classic.