Granted, I found it difficult to watch this movie, much more dark and disturbing than other films on drug use, showing that a lot had changed in cinema since 1955's overpowering "The Man With the Golden Arm". This combines the Vietnam War with the issue of heroin smuggling so there's a lot of violence between the brief war sequences at the beginning and what happens when Nick Nolte is convinced by Michael Moriarty to smuggle a stash into the states. When it comes to drug cartels being deceived, there's going to be some ruthless repercussions which affects many people including Moriarty's wife (Tuesday Weld) whom Nolte takes up with.
One of the best performances of the 1970's not to get an Oscar nomination, Nolte's acting was praised as award worthy and outside of the National Critics, wasn't honored with even a mention of praise. Weld, too, just coming off the equally controversial "Looking For Mr. Goodbar", deserves high acclaim. This film manages to be a good one thanks to an above average script, and never emerges as exploitation which it would have been had the script ended up on a desk at American International rather than the more choosy United Artists. Yet it's a very dark subject, not exactly the type of film that would be for all tastes or watched more than once unless as part of research.
One of the best performances of the 1970's not to get an Oscar nomination, Nolte's acting was praised as award worthy and outside of the National Critics, wasn't honored with even a mention of praise. Weld, too, just coming off the equally controversial "Looking For Mr. Goodbar", deserves high acclaim. This film manages to be a good one thanks to an above average script, and never emerges as exploitation which it would have been had the script ended up on a desk at American International rather than the more choosy United Artists. Yet it's a very dark subject, not exactly the type of film that would be for all tastes or watched more than once unless as part of research.