Uncommon Valor 4K 1983

Ted Kotcheff, who directed the classic "First Blood", continued his exploration of the Vietnam War in his next film, "Uncommon Valor". I consider films like this to be little-known (I personally saw it for the first time), yet instantly memorable.

Vietnam, 1972. A group of American soldiers is taken prisoner. After the war ends, the government is in no hurry to free them, and negotiations over their release drag on for ten long years.
Meanwhile, according to official figures alone, in addition to these men, more than two and a half thousand American servicemen are either in captivity or listed as missing in action.

Although politicians assure us that negotiations are underway, it seems no one is actually going to rescue these men. That is why retired General Cal Rhodes (Gene Hackman), a veteran of many past wars, is determined to bring back his son—who was captured and is now held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Laos—at any cost. After long and fruitless negotiations with politicians, he realizes that his son’s fate is in his own hands and that the prisoners cannot be freed through peaceful means.

After assembling a small squad of brave and decorated Vietnam veterans and undergoing grueling training once again at a specially built camp, they will be ready to continue the war, as this brave squad is the prisoners’ only hope for rescue.

“Uncommon Valor” is first and foremost an action film, while the drama of the situation takes a back seat. Had Kotcheff filmed “Uncommon Valor” in the style of “Rambo,” I think the movie would have been no less famous and popular. As it is, we have a superbly shot and crafted film, memorable for its excellent direction, the outstanding performance by one of the masters of American cinema, Gene Hackman, and Patrick Swayze, who was just beginning his path to global fame at the time.

A good movie, though unfortunately not very well known to the average viewer. For all fans of 80s action movies: “Uncommon Valor”.