Rating: 
Summary: Vietnam meets Psychedelia
Review: I, a very lazy person, have been impelled to write about "Who'll Stop the Rain" because of the review below which refers to the movie as one of the "ten worst films of all time". The review not only pans the movie, it refers to the CCR song by the same title as "not particularly good". "Who'll Stop the Rain" (the movie) is an extraordinarily intense and disturbing (i.e., *good*) movie about an attempted drug deal that turns spectacularly bad. The main characters (Weld & Nolte) are stunningly portrayed, which is one of the reasons I have watched the film repeatedly over the years-- but only one of the reasons. The film is dark, weird (remember the sixties?), unpredictable, and riveting. But it is more than just another action flick; it is a literary tragedy (in the Shakespearean sense). There are no "good" characters in the movie; they range from ethical shades of grey to black. The hero (Nolte, in the best role of his career) is doomed from the beginning due largely to intrinsic flaws and bad decisions on his part, but he wields nontheless a valiant, futile battle against the turpitude and chaos. The finest moment of the movie is the hallucinatory nightmare that erupts on the side of a mountain (in California?) near the end of the movie. I believe that this scene is the defining moment of the movie. It is entirely accurate to say that "Who'll Stop the Rain" is a "Vietnam-war movie"-- the war implicitly provides the moral and cultural driving forces behind the events and characters-- and yet the movie takes place almost entirely in the U.S. It is the apocalyptic battle scene at the end which finally draws the two worlds-- the hell of Vietnam and the psychedelic confusion of the sixties-- together into one consummating, symbolic horror scene. What I am writing here may sound like blathering fandom, but watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. This movie is a (minor?) masterpiece. (And by the way, the song "Who'll Stop the Rain" is one of CCR's best songs ... jeez.)
Rating:
Summary: Vietnam meets Psychedelia
Review: I, a very lazy person, have been impelled to write about "Who'll Stop the Rain" because of the review below which refers to the movie as one of the "ten worst films of all time". The review not only pans the movie, it refers to the CCR song by the same title as "not particularly good". "Who'll Stop the Rain" (the movie) is an extraordinarily intense and disturbing (i.e., *good*) movie about an attempted drug deal that turns spectacularly bad. The main characters (Weld & Nolte) are stunningly portrayed, which is one of the reasons I have watched the film repeatedly over the years-- but only one of the reasons. The film is dark, weird (remember the sixties?), unpredictable, and riveting. But it is more than just another action flick; it is a literary tragedy (in the Shakespearean sense). There are no "good" characters in the movie; they range from ethical shades of grey to black. The hero (Nolte, in the best role of his career) is doomed from the beginning due largely to intrinsic flaws and bad decisions on his part, but he wields nontheless a valiant, futile battle against the turpitude and chaos. The finest moment of the movie is the hallucinatory nightmare that erupts on the side of a mountain (in California?) near the end of the movie. I believe that this scene is the defining moment of the movie. It is entirely accurate to say that "Who'll Stop the Rain" is a "Vietnam-war movie"-- the war implicitly provides the moral and cultural driving forces behind the events and characters-- and yet the movie takes place almost entirely in the U.S. It is the apocalyptic battle scene at the end which finally draws the two worlds-- the hell of Vietnam and the psychedelic confusion of the sixties-- together into one consummating, symbolic horror scene. What I am writing here may sound like blathering fandom, but watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. This movie is a (minor?) masterpiece. (And by the way, the song "Who'll Stop the Rain" is one of CCR's best songs ... jeez.)
Rating:
Summary: Vietnam meets Psychedelia
Review: I, a very lazy person, have been impelled to write about "Who'll Stop the Rain" because of the review below which refers to the movie as one of the "ten worst films of all time". The review not only pans the movie, it refers to the CCR song by the same title as "not particularly good". "Who'll Stop the Rain" (the movie) is an extraordinarily intense and disturbing (i.e., *good*) movie about an attempted drug deal that turns spectacularly bad. The main characters (Weld & Nolte) are stunningly portrayed, which is one of the reasons I have watched the film repeatedly over the years-- but only one of the reasons. The film is dark, weird (remember the sixties?), unpredictable, and riveting. But it is more than just another action flick; it is a literary tragedy (in the Shakespearean sense). There are no "good" characters in the movie; they range from ethical shades of grey to black. The hero (Nolte, in the best role of his career) is doomed from the beginning due largely to intrinsic flaws and bad decisions on his part, but he wields nontheless a valiant, futile battle against the turpitude and chaos. The finest moment of the movie is the hallucinatory nightmare that erupts on the side of a mountain (in California?) near the end of the movie. I believe that this scene is the defining moment of the movie. It is entirely accurate to say that "Who'll Stop the Rain" is a "Vietnam-war movie"-- the war implicitly provides the moral and cultural driving forces behind the events and characters-- and yet the movie takes place almost entirely in the U.S. It is the apocalyptic battle scene at the end which finally draws the two worlds-- the hell of Vietnam and the psychedelic confusion of the sixties-- together into one consummating, symbolic horror scene. What I am writing here may sound like blathering fandom, but watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. This movie is a (minor?) masterpiece. (And by the way, the song "Who'll Stop the Rain" is one of CCR's best songs ... jeez.)
Rating: 
Summary: 4 stars to the movie, but...
Review: just ONE star to the DVD. The first reel seems taken from a TV-master, and the image is blurred and smudged even in the beginning credits. MGM should have done a better work. The corny cover image is deceiving, too, and makes clear that they didn't know how to market this great movie.
Rating:
Summary: 4 stars to the movie, but...
Review: just ONE star to the DVD. The first reel seems taken from a TV-master, and the image is blurred and smudged even in the beginning credits. MGM should have done a better work. The corny cover image is deceiving, too, and makes clear that they didn't know how to market this great movie.
Rating: 
Summary: On my list of the ten worst films of all time
Review: The first mistake the filmmakers made was changing the title of this film from Robert Stone's great novel "Dog Soldiers" to "Who'll Stop the Rain." A wimpy title attemping, and ultimately failing, at cashing in at the box office with a CCR tune, and not a particularly good one at that. Their second mistake was casting the lead with the most dull and unconvincing actor in Hollywood: Nick Nolte. Uninspired direction from Karel Reisz (who?) only adds to the insult. In the hands of a Scorsese or a Kubrick this could have been a great film. Alas, its a muddle and doesn't even get much air time on late-night TV. But then again, why sould it?
Rating:
Summary: Not a great film. But I loved it anyway.
Review: This 1978 film is a fast paced action-packed adventure story. It's not real and not supposed to be. But it kept me intrigued for more than two hours. And that's saying a lot.The film starts in Vietnam, where Nick Nolte is a merchant marine. When his good buddy, Michael Moriarity, a disillusioned journalist, asks him to smuggle two kilos of heroin to California, Nolte reluctantly agrees. Tuesday Weld is the journalist's wife and she's the one who's supposed to get the package. But things go wrong and Nolte and Weld start playing a cat and mouse game with some bad guys who are supposed to be rogue cops. Moriarity has his share of troubles too; he's abducted and painfully mistreated by the bad guys. From there on the story is simple, but the action kept me so busy watching that it didn't really have to make sense. Nolte is cast as the lead, but it didn't challenge his acting abilities very much. He's the righteous tough guy who's had a bad life and refuses to be stepped on. There's a lot of scenes of him with his shirt off. He looks good, but I couldn't help thinking that if this were filmed today, he'd have a lot more definition to his muscles. Tuesday Weld is a druggie housewife and most of the time she's awfully sleepy. Michael Moriarity, however, is supposed to be weak. That's a harder role to play. And he does it well. There's a great soundtrack of seventies music which moves the action along, and some original special effects. There's a lot of violence and hard drugs. Also, as it was filmed in the 70s, the atmosphere of that time is captured perfectly. This is not a great film. It's implausible, the story is weak, and the acting not exceptional. And yet, I loved it. And I can't quite understand why. It's not for everyone of course. But I do recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Not a great film. But I loved it anyway.
Review: This 1978 film is a fast paced action-packed adventure story. It's not real and not supposed to be. But it kept me intrigued for more than two hours. And that's saying a lot. The film starts in Vietnam, where Nick Nolte is a merchant marine. When his good buddy, Michael Moriarity, a disillusioned journalist, asks him to smuggle two kilos of heroin to California, Nolte reluctantly agrees. Tuesday Weld is the journalist's wife and she's the one who's supposed to get the package. But things go wrong and Nolte and Weld start playing a cat and mouse game with some bad guys who are supposed to be rogue cops. Moriarity has his share of troubles too; he's abducted and painfully mistreated by the bad guys. From there on the story is simple, but the action kept me so busy watching that it didn't really have to make sense. Nolte is cast as the lead, but it didn't challenge his acting abilities very much. He's the righteous tough guy who's had a bad life and refuses to be stepped on. There's a lot of scenes of him with his shirt off. He looks good, but I couldn't help thinking that if this were filmed today, he'd have a lot more definition to his muscles. Tuesday Weld is a druggie housewife and most of the time she's awfully sleepy. Michael Moriarity, however, is supposed to be weak. That's a harder role to play. And he does it well. There's a great soundtrack of seventies music which moves the action along, and some original special effects. There's a lot of violence and hard drugs. Also, as it was filmed in the 70s, the atmosphere of that time is captured perfectly. This is not a great film. It's implausible, the story is weak, and the acting not exceptional. And yet, I loved it. And I can't quite understand why. It's not for everyone of course. But I do recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A stark indictment of "loser hippies" playing outlaws!
Review: This is a strange, disturbing film without heroes and with many pathetically weak villains. The typical cynicism of author Robert Stone dominates this "adventure" of an attempted smuggling scheme that collapses in the chaos of an unforgiving reality...not that of violence but STUPIDITY! Converse is an idiot and his appeals to sympathy because of some metaphysical angst over Vietnam(where elephants are killed:, therefore, sensitive people need to get high!) are maudlin and laughable. Even Nick Nolte's role as the "Nietzschean" warrior does not work because what he is defending is unworthy. Tuesday Wells is good as the pathetic dreg of a "Flower Power" girl who cannot even rally enough goodness to care for her child. (In the film, she clerks at a bookstore... in the novel, she sells tickets at a pornographic theater). Overall, the film is incredibly depressing. The closing battle scene is utterly contrived and without "cathartic" value. Everyone...as Stone titled the book...is a Dog Soldier! The movie is interesting now, however, because it is very revealing of the probable mentalities that dominate our political landscape. Stone's view is harsh and unforgiving; a little goes a long way. What started with A Hall of Mirrors years ago seems to be a plunge into the abyss. Who'll Stop the Rain? takes the viewer to the edge... Look but don't leap!
Rating:
Summary: Who'll Stop the Rain
Review: This is a terrific movie. I watch it every couple of years or so and find something new in it each time. Nolte, Weld, and Moriarity are wonderful. The story is a relentless exploration of how the war in Viet Nam affected us. One of the best movies I have ever seen.
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