Jacknife (1989) User Reviews

Helping a brother in need

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 10 March 2020]

War is not fun... or least it shouldn't be. Whoever it doesn't leave physically scarred it leaves emotionally, mentally, and psychologically scarred. Some have deeper scars than others.

Joseph "Megs" Megasy (Robert De Niro) was scarred and he was working daily to heal. David (Ed Harris) was also scarred, but he turned to the bottle for his healing. The two of them were part of the same unit with a third friend whom they lost in Vietnam. It affected them both deeply and it showed.

Megs was determined to reach out and grab a hold of Dave no matter what. He was so determined that I didn't know what to expect from Megs. The movie started with Megs banging on Dave's door at the crack of dawn waking up the entire neighborhood. I thought for sure that Megs was going to be an untamable loose cannon capable of great harm. I was wrong. There was a method to his madness, and it was in the name of helping another veteran in need.

I liked "Jacknife" a lot. This is probably my favorite movie dealing exclusively with mental and emotional recovery from Vietnam. There were other post-Vietnam movies like "Deerhunter" and a few others I can't readily recall, but this has to be my favorite. It showed the tragic effect the war had on those soldiers without being too tragic. That is to say that the vets weren't robbing banks, or killing people, or committing suicide--that was a tragedy I didn't want to see.

There was also a soft side to "Jacknife" as Megs developed an adult yet romantic relationship with Martha (Kathy Baker), Dave's sister. This was no fireworks upon first sight, or a deeply passionate romance, rather it was a slowly kindled fire that never blazed but burned quietly.

The message of "Jacknife" was clear: get veterans the help they need. Part of that needed help is commiserating with other vets. Maybe, just maybe, they need their brothers in arms more post-war than they did during war.

Dave, Megs and Martha.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 18 April 2014]

Jacknife is directed by David Jones and adapted to screenplay by Stephen Metcalfe from his own play Strange Snow. It stars Robert De Niro, Ed Harris and Kathy Baker. Music is by Bruce Broughton and cinematography by Brian West.

De Niro and Harris play two Vietnam War veterans trying to come to terms with their lives post the war. Things are further complicated when De Niro gets romantically involved with Harris sister played by Baker.

Wonderfully sedate and intimate, Jacknife, whilst not creating anything new in the "coming home from Nam" genre of film, is somewhat refreshing in how it relies on dialogue and believable character interactions. Some clichés do find their way into the play later in the day as Harris' character starts to come out of is troubled shell, but this is mostly a thoughtful treatment of loneliness and the on going effects of the war. The three up top performances are well delivered, with De Niro unsurprisingly carrying the film with ease.

A box office flop on release, there's a good chance that Jones' film came too late in the Vietnam War movie cycle. It's also safe to say that the slow pace and the dialogue heavy nature of it made it only appealing to a certain demographic of film lovers. It's worth seeking out now as an anti-dote to blunderbuss blockbusters, because it's good film making that has a story that is touching and often humorous, and for many of a certain era, it's all too real. 7/10

there is no running away from a harrowing experience

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 20 May 2021]

David Jones's "Jacknife" basically looks at how war messes people up. Megs (Robert DeNiro) and Davey (Ed Harris) try to push forward with their lives, but their experience in Vietnam will color their existence forever. This becomes all too apparent with the incident during the prom.

I understand that this movie is based on a play. I've never seen the play, so I can't compare it. What I can say is that DeNiro and Harris put on intense performances, as does Kathy Baker. This is the sort of movie that hits you like a brick in the face. It's not a masterpiece, but worth seeing as a look at what had become of the Vietnam vets in the US. To this day, we still haven't gotten over that war (and we're nowhere near getting over any of the wars launched amid the so-called war on terrorism).

Watch for an early appearance of Charles S. Dutton, and a young Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri on "Glee").

Very Underrated film.

[pk-2 · 20 March 2007]

Saw this on cable back in the early 90's and loved it. Never saw it again until it showed up on cable again recently. Still find it a great Vietnam movie. Not sure why its not higher rated. I found everything about this film compelling. As a vet (not from Vietnam) I can relate to the situations brought by both Harris and De Niro. I can only imagine this film being more poignant now with our situation in Iraq. I wish this would be offered on cable more often for people to see. The human toll on our soldiers isn't left on the battlefield. Its brought home for the rest of there lives. And this film is one of many that brings that home in a very hard way. Excellent film.

Good movie, but the play was better.

[KMuniz · 6/10 · 19 August 2005]

Like a few others I have noticed within the comments section of this movie I also performed this in college as the play entitled Strange Snow by Stephen Metcalfe. I performed it first as a Dramatic Interp and then as a Duo Interp, both times doing very well with it. That is neither here nor there...I think the film lacks the feeling and mood of the original play. I understand things had to be cut for timing reasons, but it seemed at times that important portions of the play were erased in the movie. And the monologue near the end is blunted in movie-land. But all in all, a splendid effort with strong performances by DeNiro, Harris (in his best pre-Pollack role) and Baker. Watch this movie, then read the play. I think you will see what I mean.

Great acting, so-so script

[jeremy3 · 7/10 · 17 September 2009]

I did not like the pretentious and overrated Apocalypse Now. Probably my favorite Vietnam War film is The Deer Hunter. The Deer Hunter focused on one part of the war, and then focused on the lives before the war. This movie is essentially Deer Hunter 2. The script is too loose compared to the Deer Hunter. The story is never developed to the point that the audience can truly understand and feel for the characters like the Deerhunter did. The Vietnam flashbacks are not as gripping or involved as the ones in the Deerhunter. This is why I can only give this movie 7 out of 10.

However, I think that the acting was outstanding. DeNiro and Harris are truly amazing actors. They totally immersed themselves in their characters and expressed the great anguish of two former friends who lost their best friend Bobby in combat. Harris' character is a half-dead alcoholic, who hides the guilt that he has in Bobby losing his life trying to save his.

I also like the supporting cast. Everyone in the town is part of the movie. The town obviously can't handle Vietnam vets very well. Like many small towns, it is all about being quiet, humble, and minding one's business. Harris' character, however, can't be any of these things. It is interesting how wars effect people. Some people rebound quickly, while others never really recover.

Quiet and Compelling

[MeYesMe · 7/10 · 24 March 1999]

There isn't a whole lot going on in this story -- just two men employing very different ways of handling memories of Vietnam. But what it lacks in premise, it more than makes up for in acting and realism. It's a quiet film about the bonds of friendship and shared experience. We even get romance (not gratuitous -- just another very real piece of this story). It's well worth seeing.

This Movie Looks Better on second viewing

[harrsh85 · 6/10 · 28 December 2007]

" I like when my friends visit me, i feel i am not alone and this is very important, not only for veterans but to everyone, not feeling alone" says veteran group leader CHARLES DUTTON in JACKNIFE, a movie about love, friendship, life etc.., This is not a war movie, this is a movie that shows veterans, war just acts as sub-plot.

Joseph Megessey ( known as 'megs' or 'jacknife') visits dave after 15 years to take him for fishing which they planned with their friend bobby who died in war before they returned from Vietnam and he says it is opening day.

Dave is friend of megs and bobby is suffering from PTSD (post trauma stress disorder) has became an alcoholic to forget his friend bobby's death rather it gets worse everday which also affects his sister martha's life who is a biology teacher and pretty old too but not married yet because of dave.

megs's arrival does not pleases dave but it blossoms romance with her sister which stresses more trouble for dave which leads to an confrontation at martha's prom which leads to an solution that dave is obsessed with all the time.

The way movie opened stimulated an interest to watch it keenly but the treatment is contrast to the opening because the way it opened gave an impression that it is a dark deniro's kind of serious drama which don't have any significance after.

The only great element survived the movie is the commitment the actors had and the way they executed is admirable especially the way deniro sporting with facial hair, definitely director must have convinced every actor on creating a impression of doing a great movie but it does'nt failed because the commitment is worth the admission for the movie.

He's not my friend, he's just someone I know

[Boyo-2 · 9/10 · 10 July 2000]

I cherish each and every frame of this beautiful movie. It is about regular people, people we all know, who suffer a little in their life and have some baggage to carry around. Just like all of us. Robert DeNiro, Ed Harris and Kathy Baker breathe life into their portrayals and are all excellent, but Harris is especially heartbreaking and therefore very real. You would swear he really is a trucker who drinks so he won't have to feel anything. Baker as his put-upon sister also has some delicate moments - when DeNiro gives her flowers in one scene, it seems like she was never given flowers before and probably wasn't. Very worthwhile.

Deer Hunter and Beer Hunter

[SkullScreamerReturns · 6/10 · 21 October 2020]

I had never heard about this movie but I found it cheap and noticed De Niro is in it, so I decided to check it out. It's about Vietnam veterans, so I instantly thought about The Deer Hunter, but even though De Niro is in both movies, there's not much in common besides that. This is a lighter in tone, even a bit comedic at times, but the war theme makes the tone serious most of the time.

It's mostly a story of strong friendship, and how the war trauma affects both of the buddies. Then there's a little bit of love story, which was my least favorite part but it was ok. The overall story wraps up nicely and all of the pieces fall to their place.

It's not De Niro's best movie but he does a solid performance again. Safe bet to watch if you're his fan. In general this is a case where good actors make the story feel lively. It's not a huge story of epic proportions but more down to earth look at the basic needs and emotions of an ordinary human being, and I guess that's what a drama film is supposed to be in the first place. I give minor recommendations: if you happen to come across it, give it a watch.

modest drama carried by a strong cast

[mjneu59 · 5/10 · 28 November 2010]

This entry in a small series of post-Vietnam War readjustment melodramas doesn't, unfortunately, measure up to its potential. Three notable actors do what they can with material perhaps better suited to the less demanding standards of television; De Niro, in particular, exhibits his usual flair as the extroverted, nicknamed title character, who attempts to help shell-shocked fellow veteran Ed Harris out of his depression while falling in love with his friend's lonely wallflower sister (a thankless role for Kathy Baker). Director David Jones contributes little to Stephen Metcalfe's stage play except a few gratuitous combat flashbacks, which add nothing but noise to what should have been a subtle, low-key character study. Such genuine and well-meant sympathy for homecoming soldiers is certainly not out of place, but the sometimes over-earnest treatment doesn't do them any favors.

wonderful and difficult

[pkositzky · 8/10 · 7 October 2005]

I loved this movie. It is rare to get a glimpse of post-partum Vietnam, and this movie-sans combat scenes and exciting bombs and gunfire- did it. I had no idea I'd be so affected by it. What an amazing look at how alien Vets feel. It was tough to watch, quite frankly. We all understand the fighting and the Apocalypse Now type of drama, but this is so so different. What happens when they come back and try to live a life? They can't. It made me very aware of a large group of men that are rattling around lost in America. Not able to relate, can't sleep, can't have love affairs, can't deal with "normal society". They feel totally apart. This is a huge tragedy, and one that isn't addressed enough. Yeah, we've changed our attitude about Vietnam Vets, we like them now, but so what? It doesn't seem to have made any difference to them. It's too late? So it was a great film, but I cried a lot. I have no other criticisms.

Don't You Think That's Up To Her,Dave!!

[ehrldawg · 6/10 · 22 August 2011]

A couple of Veitnam vets sorting out their lives in post Nam.

This is a cool movie. Im not into the "vietnam veterans are psycho" movies. And I highly dislike when Hollywood does "all veterans are psycho" movies. But this one seems to be fair. Except when De Niro is driving the truck and almost makes a car drive off the road,they start coming to terms of their experiences and start to live normal lives. That,and Harris didn't get fired for allowing De Niros stunt to happen.

Robert De Niro and Ed Harris drives the International 18 wheeler!

Robert De Niro and Ed Harris are permanent A list actors!!

Kathy Baker is hot!!

---One truck Drivers Opinion---

erldwgstruckermovies.com

The Harsh Realities for Soldiers Coming Home

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 6 March 2007]

JACKNIFE is a fine adaptation of Stephen Metcalfe's play 'Strange Snow' (the screenplay was also written by Metcalfe), sensitively directed by David Hugh Jones, that explores the too frequently forgotten effect of battle on veterans damaged permanently by the heinous cruelties of war. It is especially poignant to return to this 1989 film now as we watch the soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and the raw treatment they are receiving in our Veterans' Hospitals.

Three friends went off to the Vietnam War together and only two returned alive: the problem is that while both men suffered in battle the one David 'Highschool' Flannigan (Ed Harris) is so severely damaged by posttraumatic stress syndrome that he 'exists' in a drunken vacuum with his very plain schoolteacher sister Martha (Kathy Baker). As David deteriorates his buddy Joseph 'Jacknife' Megessey (Robert De Niro) returns to the town in an attempt to help his friend. In the course of events Jacknife at first offers succor to Martha and eventually the two date - at a Prom Martha must attend - and at that prom drunken David completely falls apart, destroying relics in the school and terrifying the townspeople and students. Jacknife makes Dave relive the moment in Vietnam when they lost their buddy and in doing so brings David to the point where he can begin his climb toward recovery. And the long-suffering Martha finds her needs tended by Jacknife, too.

All three actors give astonishingly fine performances: Ed Harris offers one of his most fully realized roles while De Niro and Baker maintain the high standards set by their careers. More people should help resurrect this all but forgotten film as it is a brittle reminder of the damages our wars bring to the men who fight them and to the families who receive them after battle's end. Highly recommended. Grady Harp

An emotional accomplishment...as the video cover infers.

[Rhodes-8 · 25 February 1999]

A good video selection of a movie, especially if you have not seen it before, ...if you can't find a New Release you'd like to look at. Robert De Niro, Kathy Baker, and Ed Harris supply a well rounded look of 'Healing'. Kathy Baker was just great as a supporting role.

I missed Viet Nam by one year, my draft number was high enough in the year that the severe de-escalation started. This is not a 'Platoon', or 'Full Metal Jacket'. This film is about a couple of Vets in the years' aftermath. Takes place back in the States, after the War is over. Very few flashbacks were done, but were neccessary to bring context to the film. Ed Harris plays the one person who is in the most pain, and is always on the edge of hurting others because of it. Kathy Baker plays his sister. Robert De Niro was just perfect for the part he played, as he comes into both their lives. It is not a perfect film, or screenplay; but the the actors pull it off. I believe Ed Harris was nominated for a certain award for his efforts (not Oscar, another kind).

You don't have to have been to Viet Nam to appreciate this movie. Though it is about the aftermath of Viet Nam experience, it can also be about Self. About how we have these opposites within ourself and how the best parts of ourself, even though they may be injured, try to reach out and save the most darkest part that we have. That movie describes what I just wrote and I could not avoid tears, myself, toward the movie's end. If you just stay with it; you may know or appreciate what I mean.

Peerless acting from peerless actors.

[martincooper446 · 9/10 · 11 July 2006]

Who votes in these ratings? "Jacknife" is a beautifully acted, brilliantly observed piece of work, with actors on top of their game, especially Ed Harris and the peerless Robert DeNiro(please don't mention Marlon Brando in the same breath of this man-see "Taxi Driver" for confirmation of this point). Is it a 'mundane' movie because it doesn't have sex/meaningless action/nudity in it. This movie is about the complexities of the characters involved. Ed Harris makes you feel every moment with him and his emotional outburst towards the end is heartbreaking. The part where he orders a young man in a bar to take off his army clothes is a wonderful observation of how fashion and the movies exploit tragic situations and how frustrated real men must feel to see a young upstart sporting military attire. While we are on this subject, "Casino" 7.8 out of 10? One of the greatest films of all time, from one of the greatest directors, starring THE greatest movie actor of all time, with the scariest film psychotic gangster ever, only warrants just above average? COME ON!!!!!

excellent drama dealing with the traumatic after effects of the Vietnam War

[disdressed12 · 10/10 · 1 April 2009]

after just having watched The Deer Hunter,which is a masterpiece,the movie Jacknife had big shoes to fill.it has same themes as The Deer Hunter,the devastating effects on a person after the Vietnam War.Robert De Niro is in this film,as in The Deer Hunter and is very good here,as is Kathy Baker.but this movie belongs to Ed Harris,who gives a powerful,emotional and impactful performance.the movie is based on a stage play,and there are one or two scenes where that felt obvious to me.by that i just mean that for those one or two scenes it felt like i was watching a stage play.that was not that big a deal,and doesn't really diminish the film.i actually really liked this movie.it's not an epic like The Deer Hunter.they are about similar era and have similar themes,but they are two very different films.i thought The Deer Hunter was great,and i also think this movie was great.it's the acting in this one that makes it so great.for me,Jacknife is a 10/10

An Afterwar Masterpiece

[cinegreece · 9/10 · 20 May 2007]

Jacknife is a masterpiece of the 80's. It's a movie that breaths through amazing acting and a very interesting directing touch. In Jacknife both lovers of European and American cinema can find things to relate on. The screenplay is very compelling and full of beautiful characters. Ed Harris is giving one of the greatest performances up to date. He portrays his alcoholic hero superbly making us feel his broken heart in each line, in each move. Robert De Niro makes us once again think of him as one of the greatest actors of all time in one of the simplest but also most realistic performances in his career. Jacknife is never getting boring as it shows its heroes clear of any typical Hollywood's typical character elements. After the war none is a hero. Everybody is a loser, and this movie is about that simple truth. None can mend up his pieces after a war, just like the heroes of this movie. Jacknife is about the diseases of the soul that war creates. Simply magnificent movie.

DeNiro At His Kindest

[statuskuo · 9/10 · 4 January 2021]

Okay kiddies, before there were people shooting laser beams out of their eyes in spandex, there were dramas like this. And the only heroic thing people did was to look out for their pals and forgive them and fulfill promises. And to be honest, that is all there needs to be. I absolutely was floored by this film, because it creeps up on you. Part "Coming Home" part "Marty" the movie is about learning to live after trauma. Regardless of the fact that this one is because of the Vietnam War, it could've been really about any tragic events where people are learning to move forward. And it's exciting to see Ed Harris, Robert DeNiro and SPECIAL kudos to Kathy Baker of knocking real drama out of the park. There is a revelation at the end that will pay off IF you invest yourself into a story just about people. I am baffled how this didn't get more notice back in 1989. This would easily take home many awards in 2021. Cheers to everyone involved.

Damn, this looks familiar....

[greywolf-15 · 8 October 2004]

I stumbled on Jacknife playing on Bravo... I didn't know the title, but Robert DeNero is a damn good actor, so I started watching. And I started feeling like it was de javu, all over again... I knew the story. Then I realized why I knew it. It was originally a play called Strange Snow, and I did a production of it in collage. Play to screen allows for far more intricacies in story lines, but it is the same -- two survivors of Vietnam both reacting to the real world in different manners. The first thing I thought when I read the play after I was casted was this story is an interesting mixture of a discussion of PTSD and an parable of the Christ crucification ("Bobby"'s sacrifice of his own life in Nam being his... crucification). This movie is very much worth the time. An excellent collection of actors... the script equally effective. If you are looking for a techno-stunt movie, this is not it... it is not a deep plot movie... it is a slice of life. An excellent slice.

Jacknife and the Wizard of Oz

[mccann500 · 10/10 · 16 March 2011]

Has anyone notice in Jacknife the reference to the Wizard of Oz? Meg's tell's Martha while at the prom, "Click your heels twice, this ain't Kansas, Martha." Also note the resemblance of the characters in the two films. Meg's is the Tinman in search of a heart, Dave is the cowardly lion in search of courage, and Bobby is the Scarecrow in search of a brain. Martha is Dorthy trying desperately to get/find home/of her own. And just like the Wizard of Oz what they were looking for they all already had within themselves. Change is always an inward journey. This is a great film. I've seen it probably greater than fifty times since it came out in 1989. I use it in my work with veteran's regarding various therapeutic issues, including PTSD, Addiction, Personality Disorders and Co-dependency and Dysfunctional Family Systems. It has been very helpful at getting across these themes.

A very different kind of war movie.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 9/10 · 31 January 2003]

Jacknife is a war movie that is just about as far removed from the war as war movies get. It can hardly be classified as a war film, because the only way that any war has an effect on the story or the characters is in their memories of it, and even these we are hardly ever shown. It poses very interesting questions about life, especially in the way that the movie's tagline says that only one of them is really alive (and by the way, even though the tagline refers only to Dave (Ed Harris) and Megs (Robert DeNiro), it is talking about all three of the characters in the film). Dave and Megs were friends in the Vietnam war, and Megs has returned to take Dave out on a fishing trip that they have been planning for a lot longer than you might have guessed.

DeNiro provides a perfect performance of the character of Megs, who we are not really sure if we should like or if he really is as nuts as Martha thinks he is. Dave reminds Martha several times that Megs is not his friend, just someone he knows. There is a great scene early in the film where Megs has gone out to grab a six pack of beer from his car for breakfast, and he is just around the corner of the room when Dave says this. Megs pauses for a moment and then proceeds into the room with a smile and a huge greeting. It isn't until later that you realize how Megs must have felt when he heard that, having been the one to remember what they had planned to do on this day. It reminds me of the fakeness of the old, `Sure, let's do that,' thing that people so often say to each other, never having any plans to do any such thing.

Ed Harris delivers a wonderful performance as Dave, who never got over the effects that the war had on him. Even so many years later he has not managed to get over the death of a friend during the war, blaming himself to this day for it and thus drowning his life in alcohol, cigarettes, and loneliness. All he wants, he says, is for people to leave him alone. This is not a man who is living his life the way he wants, whether people actually leave him alone or not, he is a man trying to forget that he's alive, to detach himself from the world of the living as much as possible.

His sister Martha reminds me of myself, at least in terms of my roommates. I have two roommates who are 21 and 24 years old, and both act like they still live with their mothers, expecting their messes to just go away when they leave the room for a while. One on particular (the older one, sadly enough), has absolutely no clue how to care for himself, I'm surprised I don't have to wipe his chin while he eats. Martha has to do much the same for her brother, who she waits on hand and foot while he staggers through life from one hangover to the next. Martha and Dave are stuck in a stagnant life and neither of them can get out of it until something major changes, and Dave is the one that needs to do the changing.

I tend to complain about romance in movies where it just doesn't belong about as much as Roger Ebert complains about those pathetic little tension devices, the red digital readout. But in this case, I don't think that the romance that develops between Megs and Martha had any adverse affect on the rest of the movie. On the contrary, it made it that much more interesting, because it was not predictable. The problem with the romantic subplots in Bruckheimer movies and whatnot is that they are so predictable that you just wait for the obvious end to come and hope that something interesting happens along the way. In this case, however, it's not as obvious that something is going to happen between Megs and Martha because we don't know enough about Megs. Martha could be right about him, that he's one of Dave's crazy war buddies and that he's not the kind of man that she should be dating. Dave certainly encourages this idea.

(spoilers) A couple years after this movie, DeNiro did Cape Fear, where he plays a deranged criminal out for revenge against the lawyer that landed him in prison, a character that, in retrospect, makes it pretty easy to think that maybe at the end of Jacknife Martha realizes her mistake, gets rid of Megs, and she and Dave make up because he saved her from a horrible relationship and then he decides to clean up his act because he has done something good for her. I was half expecting this to happen, so I was pleasantly surprised when Martha and Megs wound up together and even more pleasantly surprised when Megs asks Dave all the questions about what they had planned to do after the war was over.

At times this is a slow moving drama, but Jacknife is entertaining along the way and has a huge payoff at the end, which amazingly manages to be sappy without being cheesy. There is an almost excess of emotion at the end of the film that scarcely fits with the rest of the movie, but it is so good that it doesn't dumb down anything that the movie has accomplished up to that point. Everyone involved gives a wonderful performance, and it is one of those rare films that just about makes you want to stand up and shake your fists victoriously in the air.

Empathy from a non-combat vet

[jambro-1 · 10/10 · 16 January 2021]

Lucky, I was in the Air Force then but missed ground combat & the film challenged me to ask who I would have been - hero, clown, coward or dead? Aside from great actors & superb acting, a strong script & powerfully sensitive directing, it was about survival & healing as a challenge as we all have been wounded someway at some time & place!

Strong Performance by Ed Harris

[aaronmoore-767-791777 · 9/10 · 12 April 2020]

This is the first film that really made me notice Ed Harris. I'd seen him in movies here and there, but nothing ever stood out to me. Here Ed Harris really shows that he's got the acting chops! I will continue to explore more of his work after watching this film!

Drain the Pond

[tieman64 · 23 June 2014]

"Look, if you think any American official is going to tell you the truth, then you're stupid." - Arthur Sylvester (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs)

Ed Harris and Kathy Baker are quietly effective in "Jacknife", an otherwise superficial film by director David Jones.

A cross between "Deer Hunter", "In Country", "Coming Home" and the countless post-war readjustment melodramas of the 1980s, "Jacknife" stars Robert De Niro and Ed Harris as a couple of Vietnam veterans struggling to overcome their traumatic war experiences. As is typical of American movies "about" the Vietnam War, this bloody conflict is reduced to "poor American soldiers" and much romanticised madness. The plight of the Vietnamese is ignored, the political context of the conflict is jettisoned and the war boils down to self-pitying, working class white dudes who struggle with scars. And as with "In Country", released the same year, Jones' message is both familiar and dubious: "you will never quite understand what they went through", we are told, but "be assured that they nevertheless went through it for you". Like "In Country" and "The Best Years of Our Lives", Jones' film then ends with our wounded warriors being healed by a little love and romance.

Still, the plights of veterans is a serious issue. Tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans died from suicide, many more suffered from post traumatic stress disorders, many struggled to readjust to civilian life and today similar conflicts in the Middle East see approximately 22 US soldiers committing suicide a day. Along these narrow lines, "Jacknife" is a sincere and touching film. Harris in particular is very good. Unsubtly scored by Bruce Broughton.

6/10 – Worth one viewing. See "Walker" and "Decision Before Dawn".