William (Bill, in the film) Nagle, author of the book is listed in "Sleeping with your ears open" (I think) as a Member of A Squadron SASR and credited as the writer of The Odd Angry Shot.
He wasn't yankee special forces, he was an Aussie digger.
As for the weapon handling... don't forget, they had "a soldiers five" on how to use a sub cal SLR or M16, then had to film it! Tactics, spacing etc... When you have to fit 3-5 actors into a single shot, they need to be a bit too close for tactical purposes.... Even Andy McNab admitted this about the filming of Bravo 20.
Budget?.... Meh.... Pfft! I don't reckon it was supposed to achieve as much success as it actually did. A big budget might've turned it into a hack Hollywood epic with famous last stands and bayonet charges to justify the expense.... That would have ruined the brilliant result.
The Odd Angry Shot
1979
Action / Comedy / War
The Odd Angry Shot
1979
Action / Comedy / War
78%
TOMATOMETER
78%
AUDIENCE
· 500 ratings
6.6/10
1.3K
Plot summary
A group of Australian SAS regiment soldiers are deployed to Vietnam around 1967/8 and encounter the realities of war, from the numbing boredom of camp life and long range patrols, raids and ambushes where nothing happens, to the the terror of enduring mortar barrages from an unseen enemy. Men die and are crippled in combat by firefights and booby traps, soldiers kill and capture the enemy, gather intelligence and retake ground only to cede it again whilst battling against the bureaucracy and obstinacy of the conventional military hierarchy. In the end they return to civilization, forever changed by their experiences but glad to return to the life they once knew.
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August 22, 2021 at 08:53 AM
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William Nagle was NOT a yank
The most realistic war movie ever made.
When I first saw this movie I was convinced that the actors were in fact real SAS troopers who had been seconded to do a bit of acting. So realistic were their actions, behaviour and kit. Later of course I discovered they were all well-known Australian actors. If anyone wants to know what fighting in Vietnam was like, watch this film. It shows you how it should be done. One foot out of camp and all communication is by hand signals and whispers. Comparing this to some American units in Vietnam who actually went on patrol with transistor radios on their shoulders and you will quickly understand why the Australians did so well and overall the Americans did so badly.
I vote this the best war movie ever made.
Interesting capture of the Australian experience in Vietnam
The Vietnam War, as seen from the perspective of a group of Australian soldiers. Members of an elite Special Air Services (SAS) Regiment, their lives are filled with drudgery in camp interspersed with intensity and the possibility of sudden death in combat.
Interesting capture of the Australian experience in Vietnam. Shows well how much of their lives were spent sitting around in camp, waiting for something to happen, followed by intense combat where death could come in many and unexpected forms.
Contains some profound one-liners on the war.
However, errs too much on trying to be amusing, which generally results in some fairly lame jabs. Could have been a lot better than that, an Australian Apocalypse Now / Platoon / Deer Hunter / Full Metal Jacket, but instead falls well short.
