The Odd Angry Shot

A few Australians have already written on this site praising the film for its portrayal of the Australian SAS in Vietnam and commented at length about the scope of the film. I would like to comment about the accurate way the military operations are portrayed. I served in the US Army in the 101st Airborne Division's elite LRSD (Long Range Surveillance Detatchment)where this film was one of our favorites. It was, and still is, the only film we had ever seen that realisticly showed what long range recon patrols are like; slow, concealed, quiet, and sometimes fruitless small team patrols made up of professional soldiers. We were also impressed that the film showed the part of all patrols that movies never show, the planning phase where the operation order is given and reviewed, mission essential equipment is meted out, maps are studied, radio frequencies and callsigns are memorized, and all questions are asked. The film shows the unglamorous and sometimes dull side of special warfare, but is still a must for anyone interested in special operations units that wants to see what it's all about.

This was Australia's only film about our involvement the Vietnam War until 2012, when The Sapphires appeared, followed by Danger Close in 2019.

Made in 1979, it follows a group of conscripts from Sydney to the Mekong Delta and watches them patrol, drink beer, engage the enemy, drink more beer, gamble, grumble, gambol, drink, watch friends die, and occasionally wonder what it's all for.

Though the cast includes famous names such as Bryan Brown, John Hargeaves, John Jarratt and Graeme Blundell, it is comedian Graham Kennedy who steals the show as the wisecracking NCO on his second tour. He provides the MASH-type quips as well as thoughtful commentary on the war.

Overall, the script is a bit obvious and the action sequences are a bit on the low-budget side (with quite a few locations looking distinctly Australian and a few too many gum trees).

The movie pales in comparison with American depictions of the war, with neither the wit of MASH (ostensibly set in the Korean War, but with much to say on America's involvement in Vietnam as well) nor the powerful criticism of Apocalypse Now nor the grit of Platoon.

However, the movie does have its moments: it captures the distinctly Australian mateship element of our soldiers and provides our only cinematic depiction of this important event which divided Australian society in the 1960s and 1970s. As such it is well worth seeing, despite its limitations.

The posters have been accurate, but there are a couple of points to make.

1) When Graham Kennedy made this, it was well past his crow imitating days - he was trying to crack into movies (and doing generally quite well)

2) The original novel was based on the experiences of the author. That is how he saw his experiences in the SAS. The movie is an excellent adaptation. So when you ask if these guys would have stormed Kosovo, the answer is 'YES!' There is a very well done scene where they clear out a temple (i hope). This shows the true level of professionalism in the SAS at that time, despite all the nonsense they carry on with....

3) What most war films don't do is the extreme boredom felt by soldiers between combat ... this film does do that. Even Saving Private Ryan didn't quite make it...

4) Apart from those minor quibbles, I agreed with the reviewers... Find this film and watch it. While it is flawed, it is possibly the best Vietnam film, and the one with the least political baggage...

On recent viewing, I have been surprised by how well the film reflected upon individual Australians' involvement in The Vietnam War. It also, through a couple of monologues from old hand, Graham Kennedy, dispassionately reflected upon the ultimate futility of Australia's involvement. Perhaps its greatest strength was documenting the Australian male character of the times without reverting to a "lovable larrikins" approach. The battle scenes are done without heroics or dramatics. There is a matter of factness about the activities and reactions of the unit that makes them seem all the more realistic.The boredom, routines and irritations of jungle warfare are there as well as the odd angry shot that punctuates guerilla warfare. Loved the low-key ending which resisted taking aim at the unjust treatment of the returning vets but did reflect their estrangement as a presentiment of their future problems in readjusting.

THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is a slice-of-life war film following the misadventures of a squad of Aussie soldiers who've signed up to do their duty for their country. Australia isn't the first country you think of when it comes to the Vietnam war, so seeing it depicted through their eyes makes for an unusual viewing experience.

In any case, this is one of the most distinctly Australian-feeling films I've seen. It's packed full of that unique brand of laid-back humour and bravado, and the funny script is by far the best thing about it. That, and the fact that the cast list has been populated by future stars (Bryan Brown, John Jarratt) alongside seasoned veterans (Graeme Kennedy).

THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is perhaps one of the most realistic war films out there in depicting real life for soldiers fighting on the front line: an uneasy mixture of brief, bloody fire-fights mixed with a lot of boredom, camaraderie and attempts at entertainment. It's hardly the kind of film to set the world on fire, but it is well made and it holds the attention throughout.