This film may seem empty-headed and trashy today, but I'm not sure it should have been dismissed so lightly when it was released in the spring of 1976. The Vietnam war had been called to an inconclusive halt only a few years before. Returning veterans were not always greeted with open arms. The stress of war was not recognized or treated the way it is today. Thus the stereotype of the antisocial veteran came into play. That Independence Day shootout struck me as bringing the war back home.
Pres. Nixon's resignation in the aftermath of the Watergate break-in and cover-up had left much of the nation disillusioned with government. Nixon's successor even pardoned him. When the movie was released, presidential primaries were already underway. There was no longer confidence that corruption could not reach the very top of government. Indeed, it probably already had.
Finally, the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence was the day the story ended. Given the huge attention that was given to the bicentennial, this could not possibly have been a coincidence. The entire film could easily be understood as an extended metaphor for the state of our country at that moment. That is the subtext that might elude viewers thirty years later.
Sure, the movie is a fine romp, but it goes out of its way to be nasty. The last few killings and the departure of the women signal the departure of any hope for a peaceable resolution. The only way out was bloody revolution, conflagration, and a new beginning--if there was anything left to begin from.
For other films with this perspective from 1975-76, see "Nashville" and "Taxi Driver."
Pres. Nixon's resignation in the aftermath of the Watergate break-in and cover-up had left much of the nation disillusioned with government. Nixon's successor even pardoned him. When the movie was released, presidential primaries were already underway. There was no longer confidence that corruption could not reach the very top of government. Indeed, it probably already had.
Finally, the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence was the day the story ended. Given the huge attention that was given to the bicentennial, this could not possibly have been a coincidence. The entire film could easily be understood as an extended metaphor for the state of our country at that moment. That is the subtext that might elude viewers thirty years later.
Sure, the movie is a fine romp, but it goes out of its way to be nasty. The last few killings and the departure of the women signal the departure of any hope for a peaceable resolution. The only way out was bloody revolution, conflagration, and a new beginning--if there was anything left to begin from.
For other films with this perspective from 1975-76, see "Nashville" and "Taxi Driver."
Tell Your Friends