This movie really hits the mark in many ways. It's the best movie of its genre. In the opening scene in some unspecified African civil war Nick Nolte, war journalist, discovers Ed Harris, mercenary, riding in the wrong truck surrounded by his enemies. Harris hasn't realized that after the confusion of the battle he climbed in a truck of soldiers from the opposite side. They in turn haven't realized that Harris isn't their mercenary. Harris says, `I guess they'd really be p***ed if they knew.' This scene sets the theme for the movie perfectly. Not only doesn't the mercenary care which side he is on, but it is implied that the sides are pretty much interchangeable and it doesn't much matter who's truck we climb in. This is pretty much Nolte's attitude as he travels from one war to another. We begin to suspect he isn't that different from Harris. But affairs in Nicaragua make his neutrality seem immoral and he is forced to choose between his journalistic ethics and his humanitarian ones.
Great writing is matched by great acting from Hackman, Harris and Nolte and Johanna Cassidy.
Great writing is matched by great acting from Hackman, Harris and Nolte and Johanna Cassidy.