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Red Dawn (1984)

Director: John Milius

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

This imagines a Russo/Cuban invasion of the American heartland by crack airborne troops. Despite scrupulously reconstructed tank battles and partisan raids, its military thesis is patently ridiculous: why would the Russians ignore the massive lessons they learned against Napoleon and Hitler to instigate a suicidal conventional invasion of the American mainland? They wouldn't, but any other scenario, including the obvious nuclear one which Milius ducks, leaves no room for the patriotic struggle he wants to show. Paranoia can of course be an excellent dynamic for movie-makers, and within its own dream-like structure, Red Dawn is both compelling and witty (the town's drive-in becomes a 're-education camp'). But it also contains moments that are repulsive in the grand right wing tradition, all the more so since Milius, who once held the fascination of a rebel, is here voicing sentiments that the Reagan administration actually believes.

Author: DP 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Brigadier General Stryker said...
    Posted on Feb 17 2008 23:00 Since I was a young boy I watched this movie lots of times. One of my favorite movies of all time.
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Cast & crew

Director: John Milius

Producer: Buzz Feitshans, Barry Beckerman

Cast: Patrick Swayze, C Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, Darren Dalton, Ben Johnson, Harry Dean Stanton, Powers Boothe, Ron O'Neal, Vladek Sheybal full cast

Genre(s): Action/Adventure

Duration: 114 mins


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