The Visitors
Director: Elia Kazan
Year Released: 1972
Rating: 1.0
Two Vietnam Vets (Steve Railsback and Patrick McVey) pay a visit to a fellow soldier (James Woods) who ratted them out for raping and killing a Vietnamese woman during the war... and they are bent on getting even with him. Considering Kazan's talents as a director (and a gift for working with actors), this is shockingly flaccid and intellectually hollow affair (on the surface): the formerly-imprisoned Vets show up, make themselves at home, eat Woods' food, beat him up, rape his girlfriend and then leave (and that's about it) - what this says about camaraderie or revenge or even the politics of the war is beyond me. Subtextually, of course, this plays into Kazan's days with the HUAC and how he, a 'pacifist' who 'squealed on the (alleged) Commies,' was forever hated by many, but that still doesn't make up for the ham-fisted symbolism (the wounded dog), sexism and homophobia (and downright stupidity) on display.
