Dogfight captured California in the early 60's wonderfully. A pre Vietnam, pre Bob Dylan, pre make love not war, Dogfight is a beautiful story of innocence lost and innocence found. The ending alone makes you hold onto your breath as the credits role. Also, keep your eyes open for an early cameo appearance of Brandon Frazier.
78 Reviews
Ways they never dreamed possible
bkoganbing19 March 2015
The most atypical River Phoenix role, the furthest from his own personality comes in this film. In Dogfight River plays a young Marine recruit who along with buddies Richard Panebianco, Anthony Clark, and Mitchell Whitfield who are on a last night's leave and are heading from their Treasure Island base for a night of fun and frolic in the San Francisco of November, 1963.
The guys are about to participate in a really mindless and sick ritual called a Dogfight. The guys seek out the ugliest woman they can find and bring her to a designated bar where they're judged. The 'winner' gets a prize of whatever monies the Marines have collected among themselves. Talk about objectifying the female body in a negative way.
Phoenix hooks up with sweet and shy Lilly Taylor who really moved me with her performance. She and her mother run a coffee shop and she's a quiet kid into folk music, her favorite being Joan Baez.
While the other three have the usual night on the town for the Armed Services, Phoenix and Taylor find they connect in ways that they never dreamed possible. As they get to know each other the audience sees a more typical River Phoenix.
I remember seeing this when it first came out. It had a limited release and was restricted to art houses. The theater I saw it in was memorable too, it was the only one I've ever been in without a concession stand, not even concession machines. I guess in this no frills theater I was lucky they had rest rooms.
Phoenix and Taylor make a very lovely couple. It's a good picture for River, but Taylor was the one who really blew me away.
The guys are about to participate in a really mindless and sick ritual called a Dogfight. The guys seek out the ugliest woman they can find and bring her to a designated bar where they're judged. The 'winner' gets a prize of whatever monies the Marines have collected among themselves. Talk about objectifying the female body in a negative way.
Phoenix hooks up with sweet and shy Lilly Taylor who really moved me with her performance. She and her mother run a coffee shop and she's a quiet kid into folk music, her favorite being Joan Baez.
While the other three have the usual night on the town for the Armed Services, Phoenix and Taylor find they connect in ways that they never dreamed possible. As they get to know each other the audience sees a more typical River Phoenix.
I remember seeing this when it first came out. It had a limited release and was restricted to art houses. The theater I saw it in was memorable too, it was the only one I've ever been in without a concession stand, not even concession machines. I guess in this no frills theater I was lucky they had rest rooms.
Phoenix and Taylor make a very lovely couple. It's a good picture for River, but Taylor was the one who really blew me away.
Buster and Billie #2
ptb-89 November 2005
This exceptionally effective and satisfying drama is a simple masterpiece in writing and acting skills. Overlooked and unappreciated when first released DOGFIGHT seemed to be belatedly discovered after River Phoenix died and viewers curious to see more of his better work found this pic on video. A DVD with extras and interviews would be great to see. Director Nancy Savoca sadly has only really added her talents to bad TV shows and has never bettered herself over this film. The title refers to a cruel contest between insensitive (or de sensitised) young marines to date a dog (plain girl) for the night. Lili Taylor is the catch for Phoenix and her acting and presence is a great match for him. A lot like the 70s film BUSTER AND BILLIE where Jan Michael Vincent fell for the town "slut" when he realised there was a real person underneath DOGFIGHT is an emotional discovery well worth your pursuit. Young Brendan Fraser appears briefly.
Brilliant, Calming, Moving, Unforgettable
hilthebrit6 July 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Dogfight is a little gem that is so often overlooked in so many ways. The most obvious is that people today often only watch this film to see River Phoenix, an actor we all so sorely miss, but most often, unless you are a real hardcore fan, this one is not the one you rent to see him in. The usual famous films of his career, My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, etc., are always rented first and although these are great films, none of them are as subtly beautiful, compelling and important as Dogfight. (Stand by Me comes close.) And I've seen every one of River's films. He turns in a touching and believable performance as usual, but the best surprise of this film, other than the sure handed direction, is Lili Taylor. She is so likeable an so touching that you end up arguing every point she makes. She will always make you smile. The story is very dark and not romantic, yet it's also an out and out love story. In my opinion, it's also the best war film ever made. This being said about a film with only one war scene. I say this because unlike other war films, you get to know and love these young marines and understand their world, then realize how these men's worlds are shattered by the fight: the true tragedy of a war. The onscreen chemistry between Lili and River is so nonexistent at first glance, that it's overwhelmingly pure and true. This is how two people with nothing in common, yet everything in common would act together. And the sequence where Eddie goes off to Okinawa after his night with Rose, with the great folk music of the era playing is like a beautiful dream we all have, a dream we never want to end. The same is true of the beautifully orchestrated, ever so gentle sequence in the music room at the fair. You never want these two people to pull away from the embrace. I do not enjoy romance films, but I don't think there is anyone who could dislike this film because it is so real and belivable. I've never seen a film that is so moving, yet not corny or sappy in ANY way. And it has one of the best endings in film history,the only way a real love story can end: unknown. It allows you to contemplate and figure out for yourself what's goin to happen for these two characters in the future, something also so indicative of the time period. This film also has an extraordinary soundtrack with the best folk artists of the era including Bob Dylan, Peete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez for people who are interested. NO ONE CAN MISS THIS MASTERPIECE! It's truly unforgettable and opens you up to the awkwardness and the perfectness of love, (or something like it), in a way very few films accomplish or even attempt.
As the film progresses, the more it captivates you
khatcher-211 April 2003
A blessing indeed this little piece: a wholesome story nicely told. And as a change from the mainline razzmatazz US productions, this is a rather hushed down production, which it would easily be possible to miss out on if you are not aware of the quality of this sensible and sensitive film.
Perhaps neither River Pheonix nor Lili Taylor would ever walk the red carpet into the Kodak Theatre: perhaps neither of them are anything like being `brilliant' actors. And that is precisely where the film scores: both believed in the project, Nancy Savoca became enthused with her directing, and the result is a highly recommendable film.
In 1963 I was 18: that is old enough to have records by Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary old mono LPs which I still have today. Ms. Savoca with studious deliberation prepared her scenes I think maybe in Oakland rather than in Seattle or San Francisco, maybe and the music admirably completed the setting, even with fragments of `Wimoweh' in the original Weavers' recording.
This is good film-making, of the kind which I have often thought that only here in Europe could be made; so much gratitude to Ms. Savoca for showing us that sometimes the US can make sincere little stories that really work.
I will see this film again, one day I hope.
Perhaps neither River Pheonix nor Lili Taylor would ever walk the red carpet into the Kodak Theatre: perhaps neither of them are anything like being `brilliant' actors. And that is precisely where the film scores: both believed in the project, Nancy Savoca became enthused with her directing, and the result is a highly recommendable film.
In 1963 I was 18: that is old enough to have records by Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary old mono LPs which I still have today. Ms. Savoca with studious deliberation prepared her scenes I think maybe in Oakland rather than in Seattle or San Francisco, maybe and the music admirably completed the setting, even with fragments of `Wimoweh' in the original Weavers' recording.
This is good film-making, of the kind which I have often thought that only here in Europe could be made; so much gratitude to Ms. Savoca for showing us that sometimes the US can make sincere little stories that really work.
I will see this film again, one day I hope.
Love story, Vietnam bound Marine & a hip '60's San Francisco anti-war girl.
Ed-1457 June 2000
Dogfight captures the feelings of the mid to late 1960's in San Francisco. It accurately shows the characteristics of young U.S. Marines destined for Vietnam. They are insensitive and cruel to the young women they invite to the 'Dogfight' because of their youth and the situation they find themselves in as G.I.'s. Being in the Air Force during this period I could relate to their crudeness as a posture taken by some young men as a defense against their environment. Being insensitive was a way to deal with their situation over which they had little control. The movie also accurately portrayed how young G.I.'s bond with other young guys who in civilian life they might not have bothered to befriend.
The love story involves a girl invited to the 'Dogfight' (a contest to see who could bring the ugliest girl) and the young Marine who brings her. She breaks through his shell of indifference and they become friends and lovers.
Lilly Taylor and River Phoenix are terrific. Their characters ring true and my wife and I cared very much about what happened to them.
Phoenix's return to S.F. after his tour in Vietnam was just as I experienced it. Although I was not returning from overseas when I returned the Bay Area in 1969, I discovered that the San Francisco of 1965 was totally gone and replaced with a foreign land.
'Dogfight' is accurately nostalgic for those of my generation and perhaps older. Younger viewers get to enjoy a truly good love story. They also get a glimpse of life as a young G.I. during that uniquely explosive period of change and social upheaval in America during the middle to late 1960's.
The love story involves a girl invited to the 'Dogfight' (a contest to see who could bring the ugliest girl) and the young Marine who brings her. She breaks through his shell of indifference and they become friends and lovers.
Lilly Taylor and River Phoenix are terrific. Their characters ring true and my wife and I cared very much about what happened to them.
Phoenix's return to S.F. after his tour in Vietnam was just as I experienced it. Although I was not returning from overseas when I returned the Bay Area in 1969, I discovered that the San Francisco of 1965 was totally gone and replaced with a foreign land.
'Dogfight' is accurately nostalgic for those of my generation and perhaps older. Younger viewers get to enjoy a truly good love story. They also get a glimpse of life as a young G.I. during that uniquely explosive period of change and social upheaval in America during the middle to late 1960's.
which the song is
gus368-122 September 2006
First, pardon for my English. A good movie. An impact topic that I leave myself restless per years, this movie, like we change, we lie, or we make some or another bad action, to adapt to a group. When growing, when living, when transmuting; Lying and becoming wretches comforted opportunists. Those opportunists that it is denied by right the happiness, the love, the favorable and true caress of the life. Becoming in who we are not, if not in a character, list that he/she plays us to live. As well as me lost, as well as they transmuted many around to my. Who one lies intimately, today and until their deaths, about the love pseudo-love that you/they possess. 2do. Matter: which the song is and do interpret of the end of the movie, that of the hug of Phoenix and its love, that of the titles? To you. salt-lu-2. -
What a pleasant surprise!
JennyPye3 September 1999
On the day my friends and I learned of River Phoenix's unfortunate death, we planned to have a movie marathon that weekend. Apparently other people on campus had the same idea. By the time we got to the video store, all of the better known movies (Stand by Me, Mosquito Coast, My Own Private Idaho) had already gone. Someone happened upon Dogfight, of which none of us had ever heard. We decided to give it a shot.
What a fabulous movie! The "first kiss" scene will probably never have an equal: most movies show a first kiss as a passionate, perfect moment rather than an awkward and tense one.
What a fabulous movie! The "first kiss" scene will probably never have an equal: most movies show a first kiss as a passionate, perfect moment rather than an awkward and tense one.
The war is very far away in the background, so don't expect a war movie
philip_vanderveken2 August 2005
When I heard the title "Dogfight" and knew that it had something to do with the war in Vietnam, I could never think that it would be this kind of movie. Normally that word is used to describe the battle between two fighter pilots, so I was more or less thinking in that way (although I know all too well that the Vietnamese didn't have a fighter jet). But it wasn't, this was a romantic drama.
I could never imagine that it would be a movie about four friends who play a cruel game, which they call 'Dogfight', with some unsuspecting women. On the night before they are shipped to Vietnam in 1963, they will seek a woman to go to a party with and the one who finds the ugliest, wins a prize. Eddie finds Rose, a nice girl who works in her mother's coffee shop and who likes folk music. She's happy to accompany him, but when she sees through the game, she thoroughly hates him. But Eddie has already started to like her and feels bad about what he has done to her. He follows her home and will do everything possible to win back her heart...
If you are hoping for some gun fights or big explosions, than this movie will be a big disappointment. This is nothing more or less than a romantic drama with the Vietnam war (far away) in the background. Does that mean it is no good? Certainly not. River Phoenix, Richard Panebianco, Anthony Clark and Mitchell Whitfield did a nice job portraying the four friends and Lili Taylor was nice as Rose. I would even say that it is there performances that save this movie, because the story on itself, even though not bad, isn't exactly the most original one ever. But it's worth watching and it's a relief to see that there are still directors in Hollywood who can do better than to put some cheap action in a movie to make it more 'interesting'. Overall I liked this movie and that's why I give it a 7/10.
I could never imagine that it would be a movie about four friends who play a cruel game, which they call 'Dogfight', with some unsuspecting women. On the night before they are shipped to Vietnam in 1963, they will seek a woman to go to a party with and the one who finds the ugliest, wins a prize. Eddie finds Rose, a nice girl who works in her mother's coffee shop and who likes folk music. She's happy to accompany him, but when she sees through the game, she thoroughly hates him. But Eddie has already started to like her and feels bad about what he has done to her. He follows her home and will do everything possible to win back her heart...
If you are hoping for some gun fights or big explosions, than this movie will be a big disappointment. This is nothing more or less than a romantic drama with the Vietnam war (far away) in the background. Does that mean it is no good? Certainly not. River Phoenix, Richard Panebianco, Anthony Clark and Mitchell Whitfield did a nice job portraying the four friends and Lili Taylor was nice as Rose. I would even say that it is there performances that save this movie, because the story on itself, even though not bad, isn't exactly the most original one ever. But it's worth watching and it's a relief to see that there are still directors in Hollywood who can do better than to put some cheap action in a movie to make it more 'interesting'. Overall I liked this movie and that's why I give it a 7/10.
Just beautiful
preppy-313 February 2003
Just wonderful little sleeper about a young man (in 1963) about to be shipped off to war, having one last night with an unattractive young woman.
This is more of a character study and love story than anything else with River Phoenix and Lili Taylor both just superb in their roles. The script is sharp and refreshingly unsentimental and the film is extremely well cast right down to the smallest roles. Excellent, restrained use of period music also. Watching this movie is somewhat uncomfortable though because of Phoenix--in the movie he is so handsome and full of life--it's depressing to remember he died of a drug overdose. Still, him and Taylor are so great and believable in their roles you get caught up in the movie.
I do have a few minor complaints--Phoenix's constant swearing got annoying (although it does lead up to a very funny scene in a restaurant with Taylor) and the ending seems somewhat forced and rushed--although I have to admit I cried. Still these are minor complaints.
A beautiful, understated film that deserves much more recognition than it ever got. Well worth seeking out.
This is more of a character study and love story than anything else with River Phoenix and Lili Taylor both just superb in their roles. The script is sharp and refreshingly unsentimental and the film is extremely well cast right down to the smallest roles. Excellent, restrained use of period music also. Watching this movie is somewhat uncomfortable though because of Phoenix--in the movie he is so handsome and full of life--it's depressing to remember he died of a drug overdose. Still, him and Taylor are so great and believable in their roles you get caught up in the movie.
I do have a few minor complaints--Phoenix's constant swearing got annoying (although it does lead up to a very funny scene in a restaurant with Taylor) and the ending seems somewhat forced and rushed--although I have to admit I cried. Still these are minor complaints.
A beautiful, understated film that deserves much more recognition than it ever got. Well worth seeking out.
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
boblipton15 October 2020
In November of 1963, four Marine buddies, just out of boot camp, spend their two-day pass and $50 a head setting up a dog fight-- everyone brings the ugliest girl he can find to a party, and the one who is ugliest wins her date the pot. River Phoenix brings Lili Taylor (she gained 12 pounds for the role and wears padding). Somehow they actually connect.
It's a moment in history where the times they were a-changing, and no one quite knows what is happening, nor what is going to happen. Large swaths are filmed on the streets and interiors of San Francisco at night, showing bits and pieces that still survived when the film was shot, adding to the air of a tired and sick society about to undergo massive changes, while two individual fumble their ways into little truths in the face of broad assertions. It's a charming movie that pays careful attention to details of dress and the fragmenting mores of the day.
It's a moment in history where the times they were a-changing, and no one quite knows what is happening, nor what is going to happen. Large swaths are filmed on the streets and interiors of San Francisco at night, showing bits and pieces that still survived when the film was shot, adding to the air of a tired and sick society about to undergo massive changes, while two individual fumble their ways into little truths in the face of broad assertions. It's a charming movie that pays careful attention to details of dress and the fragmenting mores of the day.
This movie rests in your heart
melanie_kate16 August 2005
I first watched Dogfight as an 18yr teenager living on an army barracks in Australia it was a movie that I enjoyed and could relate to slightly, after knowing quite a few soldiers! But I came across the film once more, now years later and so it has both a sentimentality to it especially now as River isn't alive anymore and I'm not so young! This film is gentle and it is so real and the actors are magic on it, I believe in their characters and the characters all mean something special to me. Eddie Birdlace is just a version of so many young soldiers that join up and suddenly find themselves in a culture of bragging and shagging and the loyalty to their army buddies is fiercely upheld. I was also a chubby young girl who knew how it felt to be embarrassed when a group of army boys went by and would blush under their smirks so I definitely related to Rose as well, and it tugged on my heartstrings so much. THis movie touches my heart and I don't think you can ask much more of a movie than that.
"And that's what makes us Americans."
classicsoncall25 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Let's say you're the casting director for a film like "Dogfight", and it's your job to find unattractive women to fulfill the story's premise. How do you go about that? Let's see, I think you might be homely enough for a role, but we'll have to wait and see if anyone uglier comes along. Turns out that a couple of the dates in this film actually were pretty unsightly, I wonder what they thought about getting picked. In any event, the whole idea behind the story was rather cruel and dehumanizing, so you had to know things would turn around at some point. I liked the way Rose Fenny (Lili Taylor) put Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) in his place when she found out what the four 'B's' were up to with their brutish behavior. Reluctantly turning into a human being, Eddie attempts to make up for his indiscretion by genuinely treating Rose to a fanciful evening that drew out both of their real personalities. Still in their teens and inexperienced in the ways of love and romance, they awkwardly approach their first kiss with hesitation. I wasn't sure how Rose was going to accept the idea of a one-night stand with a Marine shipping out the next day, but their love scene was handled with taste and discretion via Bob Dylan's approval suggesting 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright'. Though the final scene of Eddie and Rose reuniting following his three year hitch in the service struck me as somewhat unrealistic, it did bring a sense of closure to a pair of individuals who discovered each other under the most unlikely circumstances.
Lili Taylor's performance shines; not much else though.
lefkiosvanrooy28 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This movie benefits from its sweet and sensitive approach and mainly from Lili Taylor's incredibly likable performance. I absolutely root for this girl and wish I could have a real-life friend like her. The enthusiasm by which she talks about most things, her aspirations in life, even the music she listened to where reasons to fall in love with this character. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about River Phoenix's character, a character I felt unable to empathize with as you do not get a true explanation as to why he'd previously behaved so callously, you do not get a big enough insight into his character, something to show his humanity, his fears, ambitions or insecurities. And I think that is because while Rose is such a driven and opinionated young girl, Eddie's character is the exact opposite, a guy frustrated with his situation for a reason he himself can't really explain. This makes their romance believable however, as you can see Eddie's attraction towards this girl's optimistic and at the same time strong aura. When their date comes to an end however, Eddie seems to choose to forget about this encounter and return to his previous life of bullshit-loaded tomfoolery, in a way a protective mechanism when entering the world of blood and horror that was Vietnam back then. He returns from war, having potentially lost his mates, seeming somewhat changed (if that) and enters Rose's café to see Rose again, hugging her and remembering that one night of pure sincerity in an otherwise bullshit-filled way of living.
always a favorite
Rivrchild8 July 2003
I've seen it a million times, and it will always be one of my favorites. But what always struck me about this film is the silence - it opens very quietly, with no music and only muffled voices of the passengers on a bus. Our first views of the main character Eddie are of him sitting alone on a bus and at a truck stop. It is a perfect way to introduce a character that changes so much from beginning to end. In fact, the film starts at the end, and we are allowed to see the past when Eddie reminisces all that happened to him before he left for Okinawa. The movie has a quiet subtle way about it all the way through. There are tender, heartbreaking moments, but also moments that will have you laugh hysterically. Among the many issues the film addresses are honesty, friendship, forgiveness, war, and love. Someone said this is not a very romantic film, and I agree. It is not romantic in the way that most romances are. It is a decidely un-Hollywood approach to love, which is what makes it so memorable. The first kisses are not beautiful and elegant. They are awkward and uncertain in the most realistic way. They are not backed by melodramatic music, but rather the music that those characters would have really heard in their own ears. The poetry of it is that it ends the same way it began - in the quietest way possible, showing that for the two characters words are not needed.
Great name for a band
katarina2218 April 2002
This movie was interesting. It's a smart concept. Drop-dead gorgeous guy takes out a real dog because he really does like her...and kind of wants to get some. Overall I think that Phoenix, as usual, puts in a stellar performance. Taylor is all right and I think she knows Rose a little better than she would like us to think. There are certain moments in this movie that thought I would vomit--like Eddie gets the four bluebirds on his arm. But there were also moments that I couldn't breathe--like when the two were in the little music hall of music boxes and such. They turn everything on and then Phoenix just becomes his character from there on out. Officially, I kinda liked this movie. Unofficially, I think that if Phoenix were still alive he could have an Oscar.
A simple story beautifully told
ChrisG-819 March 2003
Lili Taylor and River Phoenix are perfect for this simple little story about a young marine in town for a little fun before being sent to Vietnam. I had never heard of this kind of dogfight before. I hope it never really existed but whether it did or did not exist doesn't affect this terrific little film. Great use of pre Beatles 60s music and the film adequately captures the mood and feeling of the time.
If you are over 50 now, this one will stay with you for years after you watch it. Films are at their best when the most effort is spent on performances and storytelling. I like big budget nonsense films as well as most anybody but the films that stay with me are often the simple heartfelt stories somebody has to tell. Congratulations to all involved. Dogfight is an absolute bullseye, dead center on target.
If you are over 50 now, this one will stay with you for years after you watch it. Films are at their best when the most effort is spent on performances and storytelling. I like big budget nonsense films as well as most anybody but the films that stay with me are often the simple heartfelt stories somebody has to tell. Congratulations to all involved. Dogfight is an absolute bullseye, dead center on target.
3/4 of a 10 point movie
recklessron18 April 2004
Engrossing tale that hooks you into the two main characters.
It slowly builds them into a wonderful romance for 95% of the film - all set prior to the Vietnam War - and then spends no time at all on the war, the male protagonists role in it, his return and their ultimate reunion, which takes all of 1 minute.
In the last few minutes the film raises the question of whether their one night of passion has produced an offspring but then leaves that, and the rest of the questions surrounding the couple, unanswered.
As such, I found it to be an unsatisfying experience despite being entertained for the majority of the film.
Without the last 10 minutes, and at the same pace, this could easily have been part one of an epic trilogy.
It slowly builds them into a wonderful romance for 95% of the film - all set prior to the Vietnam War - and then spends no time at all on the war, the male protagonists role in it, his return and their ultimate reunion, which takes all of 1 minute.
In the last few minutes the film raises the question of whether their one night of passion has produced an offspring but then leaves that, and the rest of the questions surrounding the couple, unanswered.
As such, I found it to be an unsatisfying experience despite being entertained for the majority of the film.
Without the last 10 minutes, and at the same pace, this could easily have been part one of an epic trilogy.
positive!
snhowells27 April 2004
This is my favorite film of all time-not just because it stars River Phoenix,but because it is so well written and acted.The story is a very believable one,and it is a highly underrated film!.
This film portrays the frustrations of the young and often immature soldiers and the ways they try to combat them,but with a good old fashioned dose of romance thrown in,it is very emotional in parts,with some swearing,but some very,very funny and memorable moments,it is one of the few movies that i can watch over and over and never get tired of
Not your average Vietnam film-but then again River wasn't your average actor....i believe this is his best performance ever!!
This film portrays the frustrations of the young and often immature soldiers and the ways they try to combat them,but with a good old fashioned dose of romance thrown in,it is very emotional in parts,with some swearing,but some very,very funny and memorable moments,it is one of the few movies that i can watch over and over and never get tired of
Not your average Vietnam film-but then again River wasn't your average actor....i believe this is his best performance ever!!
Did a good job depicting that time period
jordondave-2808528 September 2023
(1991) Dogfight
WAR DRAMA
More of a drama film than a war film, which takes place some time during the 1960's Vietnam and the movie centers on an old ritual term, called 'dogfight' involving the Marines practiced before going off to war. During this, actor River Phoenix as Eddie Birlace builds a rapport with one of it's contestants, actress Lili Taylor as Rose and the movie dwells on this relationship. What can I say but interesting information about what Marines or soldiers used to do, before being sent off to war. A story using fictionalize characters as well as story line based on actual fact.
More of a drama film than a war film, which takes place some time during the 1960's Vietnam and the movie centers on an old ritual term, called 'dogfight' involving the Marines practiced before going off to war. During this, actor River Phoenix as Eddie Birlace builds a rapport with one of it's contestants, actress Lili Taylor as Rose and the movie dwells on this relationship. What can I say but interesting information about what Marines or soldiers used to do, before being sent off to war. A story using fictionalize characters as well as story line based on actual fact.
One of my all time favorites.
nabeehah11 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Truth be told, when i first came across this movie, River Phoenix was already a name i knew. His legacy, continuing. I had loved his performance in the movie 'stand by me' and i continued to search for his best work. What I didn't expect? The brilliance of Lili Taylor, whose work; i had never seen. Birdlace is quite different from the other personalities played by Phoenix, yet- it reminds me that we are all human; we are all trying to fit in. And this movie definitely broke the stereotypes, especially with Taylor's portrayal of Rose. Rose, who is probably somewhat invisible, has something that normal shy girls in movies don't : spunk. She bruises birdlace for his asshole manners, swears while ordering food to prove a point, does not care about what other people think and yet, is the most compassionate character i have ever seen. She did not need to leave her room after getting Birdlace's note to come outside, but she did; because she is the type of person who can give us the second chances we need- heck maybe even a third and fourth. I loved how the chemistry grew. How Eddie saw something in this girl who was willing to give him a chance when he didn't deserve it. Who Rose saw something in a boy who only knew how to be rude. But my favorite moment? When Eddie returns after all that time, and hugs Rose with vigour, and a look which conveys a complete mental breakdown. I've read other reviews. I know how people hate the way it ended. But I don't see that. I see a boy who could've died. Who could've died, knowing that he never wrote to the girl called Rose. This is his wake up call. Some things are worth fighting for. Thanks, dogfight. I salute you. I salute you too, Lili Taylor and River Phoenix.
under-rated example of River Phoenix's genius on screen
HelenMary14 January 2013
As a film, overall, this isn't going to set any bells and whistles going off, but for River's performance and it's quiet commentary of 1960s America during the Vietnam War it is brilliant. You can see why it was overlooked in the early 90s, but River Phoenix brings an elegance and a gravitas to this "little" film. He is luminous. Lili Taylor was his foil perfectly, her breathy shy performance against his bravado and puffery wears him down and the tenderness between them is touching and beautiful - something that River has demonstrated in other films, most notably My Own Private Idaho. He and Taylor worked perfectly together, her stoicism and naive strength whilst maintaining her charm and kindness. I'm sure the opportunity to work with Phoenix overrode the less than glamorous role she had to play.
The film is a typical coming of age film; emphasis on boyhood expressions of rite of passage - alcohol, sex and bad language, bragging and camaraderie - made all the more poignant because they are shipping off to war the next day. The titular dogfight is a competition between the marines to pull the least attractive girl, but Birdlace (Phoenix) struggles to find someone and when he does find a plain Jane he realises that she is too good and too nice for the seedy wager and tries to get her out of it, and gets to know her in the process.
The film is shown through a long flashback, and it's genius is that it doesn't over-narrate. The ending is perfect, it assumes and prompts but doesn't spell out what happens... Birdlace's arm with it's four tattoos is narration enough, and his return and reception at Rose's café says more than pages of script.
A triumph.
The film is a typical coming of age film; emphasis on boyhood expressions of rite of passage - alcohol, sex and bad language, bragging and camaraderie - made all the more poignant because they are shipping off to war the next day. The titular dogfight is a competition between the marines to pull the least attractive girl, but Birdlace (Phoenix) struggles to find someone and when he does find a plain Jane he realises that she is too good and too nice for the seedy wager and tries to get her out of it, and gets to know her in the process.
The film is shown through a long flashback, and it's genius is that it doesn't over-narrate. The ending is perfect, it assumes and prompts but doesn't spell out what happens... Birdlace's arm with it's four tattoos is narration enough, and his return and reception at Rose's café says more than pages of script.
A triumph.
A hidden gem of immense power.
robert-259-2895411 February 2017
Every so often, you stumble across a little gem of a film that simply steals your heart away, and this certainly tops that list. I must admit that the title of this surprisingly moving film threw me for a loop... I thought it was about angry pit bulls or WWII flying aces, but that was just the "in joke" of this tale of young men on their way to war. I had always thought of River Phoenix as simply another Johnny Depp, just another teenaged heartthrob. But I was so, so wrong. He shined in this movie like a diamond in the rough, with a clarity and beauty rare to see, and wonderful to behold. Combined with a very underrated Lili Taylor in the co-starring role, this film reached a place in my heart that very, very few films are even capable of. On a side note, after catching Taylor in this amazing role, I had the good fortune of meeting her in a little dim sum joint in NYC, many years later. She was very gracious. And when I asked her of her personal thoughts on a long-passed River Phoenix, of him she said, "He was a sensitive young man... maybe too sensitive for this world." Amen.
Baleful title tells us what we're in for...
moonspinner5514 April 2009
Group of Marines in 1963 San Francisco compete to see who can get the ugliest date. River Phoenix's Eddie Birdlace manages to humiliate Lily Taylor's Rose before finally seeing the human being underneath the unattractive coif and clothes--which of course makes him a better man. Silly, dead-end premise is not enhanced by sloppy writing nor variable performances. Taylor's rage is convincing, yet she doesn't show much range as an actress (this may be the fault of the writing, as her Rose is flimsily constructed out of clichés). The film's title is a foolish conceit, though it matches up fairly well with the screenplay--both are simple-minded. The picture's third act abandons the rowdy bravado and settles into a more conventional 'romantic drama' scenario; this section actually works the best, although the characters still fail to surprise us. ** from ****
A Perfect Film
luludavis12 December 2002
I went to see this film because I am a River Phoenix fan, but when Ms.
Taylor appeared on the screen my breath was taken away. Never before
have I witnessed a more likable charater as well as an incredibly
sincere performance by such a young actress. I also was curious as to how anyone could tell a story about the Vietnam
war in a new way. Bob Comfort, the screenwriter is a genius as is Nancy
Savoca, the director. The closing scene is brilliant in its use of silence and facial
expressions. The war footage is minimal but poignant. This is a perfect
film and one of the best films eve
Taylor appeared on the screen my breath was taken away. Never before
have I witnessed a more likable charater as well as an incredibly
sincere performance by such a young actress. I also was curious as to how anyone could tell a story about the Vietnam
war in a new way. Bob Comfort, the screenwriter is a genius as is Nancy
Savoca, the director. The closing scene is brilliant in its use of silence and facial
expressions. The war footage is minimal but poignant. This is a perfect
film and one of the best films eve
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