There's a Western struggling to get out of this present-day account, from French director Louis Malle, of Texas redneck shrimp fishermen and their conflict with the Vietnamese boat people whose determination to earn a living invades their territorial waters. It leads not only to outright warfare but also to the Texans' enlistment of the Ku Klux Klan. The film has some fresh and valid social statements to make and it puts them across forcibly, even if the script fails to raise the events above the level of routine drama which, while interesting, lacks dramatic punch. Ed Harris, almost unrecognisable beneath a bushy beard, has an interesting role as a 'hero' whom circumstances turn into villain. He and real-life wife Amy Madigan give dour, downbeat performances that probably reflect the bitterness involved but fail to do much for the film itself.


©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes