Who'll Stop the Rain (1978)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Karel Reisz

Writers:

Robert Stone (novel)
Judith Rascoe (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 September 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | War | Thriller

Tagline:

Try to rip him off and he'll rip you apart!

Plot:

Vietnam veteran Ray Hicks gets conned into helping his buddy John Converse smuggle some heroin, only...

Plot Keywords:

Disillusionment | Visceral | Psychological Drama | Tough Guy | Confrontation

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Ray Hicks
Tuesday Weld	...	Marge Converse
Michael Moriarty	...	John Converse
Anthony Zerbe	...	Antheil
Richard Masur	...	Danskin
Ray Sharkey	...	Smitty
Gail Strickland	...	Charmian
Charles Haid	...	Eddie Peace
David Opatoshu	...	Bender
Joaquín Martínez	...	Angel (as Joaquin Martinez)
James Cranna	...	Gerald
Timothy Blake	...	Jody
Shelby Balik	...	Janey
Jean Howell	...	Edna
José Carlos Ruiz	...	Galindez (as Jose Carlos Ruiz)
Bill Cross	...	Radio Operator
John Durren	...	Alex
Bobby Kosser	...	Hippie
Wings Hauser	...	Marine Driver
Jonathan Banks	...	Marine
Michael Bair	...	Blinded Man
Derrel Maury	...	Soldier
Jan Burrell	...	Mother
Stuart Wilson	...	Father
James W. Gavin	...	Helicopter Pilot (as James Gavin)

Directed by
Karel Reisz

Writing credits
Robert Stone		(novel "Dog Soldiers")
Judith Rascoe		(screenplay) and
Robert Stone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Herb Jaffe	....	producer
Gabriel Katzka	....	producer
Sheldon Schrager	....	associate producer
Roger Spottiswoode	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Dale Hennesy

Set Decoration by
Robert De Vestel

Costume Design by
William Ware Theiss		(as William Theiss)

Makeup Department
Sugar Blymyer	....	hair stylist
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup artist (as Edouard Henriques)

Production Management
Alberto A. Ferrer	....	production manager: Mexico (as Alberto Ferrer)
Sheldon Schrager	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jesús Marín	....	assistant director: Mexico (as Jesus Marin)
Arne Schmidt	....	assistant director
Jerry Sobul	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Enrique Estévez	....	set decorator: Mexico (as Enrique Estevez)
Agustín Ituarte	....	art director: Mexico (as Agustin Ytuarte)
Antonio Mata	....	property master: Mexico
Richard M. Rubin	....	properties
Ed Shanley	....	construction coordinator
Dianne Wager	....	set designer
Stan Cockerell	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Douglas Forsmith	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
José B. Carles	....	production sound mixer: Mexico (as Jose B. Carles)
Morris Feingold	....	boom operator
Christopher Newman	....	production sound mixer (as Chris Newman)
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don Sharpe	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Paul Stewart	....	special effects
Charles E. Dolan	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunt coordinator
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Chuck Hayward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator
Ed Carlin	....	gaffer
Eddie Collins	....	assistant camera: Mexico
Robert Edesa	....	assistant camera
Luis García	....	gaffer: Mexico (as Luis Garcia)
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Graciano Perez	....	key grip: Mexico
Fernando Robles	....	assistant camera: Mexico
Manuel Santaella	....	camera operator: Mexico
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator: Mexico (as Herbie Smith)
Robert Sordal	....	key grip
Ronnie Taylor	....	additional photographer (as Ron Taylor)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tom Bronson	....	costumer: men
Aida Swinson	....	costumer: women
Donfeld	....	costumes: Ms. Weld (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Bloom	....	supervising editor
Peter Boyle	....	assistant film editor
Mark Conte	....	assistant film editor
Carlos Puente	....	assistant film editor: Mexico (as Carlos Puente Portillo)
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Tom Nolan	....	music advisor

Other crew
Ricardo Frera	....	accountant: Mexico
Clifford Green	....	production assistant
Herb Jaffe	....	presenter
Mari-Carmen Jaffe	....	production coordinator
Steven-Charles Jaffe	....	location manager (as Steven C. Jaffe)
Gabriel Katzka	....	presenter
Larry Luttrell	....	production assistant
Barbara Persons	....	production accountant
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor: Mexico
Carlos Reyes	....	production liaison: Mexico
Kathy Thomas	....	script supervisor
Earl Wingard	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Katzka-Jaffe

Distributors

• United Artists (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Key Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinefex Ltd.  titles
• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)

Also Known As:

Dog Soldiers (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A (video rating) | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cody's Books - 2454 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, California, USA

Company:

Katzka-Jaffe

Trivia:

The scene on the railroad tracks is a reference to the final adventure in Mexico of beatnik figure Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac's inspiration for Dean Moriarty in "On the Road". Author Robert Stone had traveled with Cassady and Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters. Furthermore, Nick Nolte was in the midst of extensive research on Cassady for his portrayal in the film Heart Beat (1980).

Quotes:

Ray Hicks: When I tell you the story of my life you'll eat your heart out.
Marge Converse: How did you turn out?
Ray Hicks: Well, your husband once told somebody I was a psychopath.
Marge Converse: That's the kind of thing he'd say.
Ray Hicks: Do you think he could be right?
Marge Converse: It's a very imprecise term.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in True Romance (1993)

Soundtrack:

GOLDEN ROCKET

Nolte excels in tough, literate drama

Nick Nolte is dead-solid perfect here as Vietnam-vet Marine Ray Hicks, the ultimate 70's zen anti-hero. It's shocking to see him so young and muscular after the sheer variety of roles and physical embodiments he has taken on since. Here he's tough, flawed, and jaded, a once-idealistic cynic who has gotten himself into a bad situation but whose instinct for survival takes over. One of his first lines in the film is, "Self defense is an art I cultivate.", and he doesn't let down. It's a Steve McQueen-cool kind of role, and Nolte's wonderfully cinematic throughout; whether it's smoking a cigarette, drinking a beer, cleaning a weapon, kicking bad-guy butt with some quick martial arts moves, or putting a supportive arm around Tuesday Weld.

The story comes from Robert Stone's National Book Award winning "Dog Soldiers" which is a better if less marketable title. The title refers to those mercenary soldiers who would hire on and die for someone else's cause as surely as if it was their own. Much of the dialogue comes verbatim from Stone's book, and it's rare that the translation is so perfectly realized as it is by director Karel Reisz and his actors. The characters seem to be saying these words for the first time in the situation they're in, and what's more, much of the dialogue is endlessly quotable. Nolte in particular builds a tough-guy philosophy throughout snarling lines like, "I'm tired of taking s**t from inferior people."

He's perfectly paired on the road from Oakland to New Mexico with Weld, in one of her best performances as Michael Moriarty's pill-popping wife. Also well-cast are Anthony Zerbe, Richard Masur, and Ray Sharkey, who add plenty of menace and dark humor as a trio of shady feds after the heroin Nolte has ill-advisedly brought back from Vietnam for one-time pal Moriarty. Also standing out is Charles Haid as a small-time Hollywood hustler Nolte tries to have move the heroin. Look fast for Wings Hauser in the opening scenes as a Marine jeep driver. The film's tone may be too violent and downbeat for some tastes, but it captures the feeling of cynicism and disillusion stateside during the Vietnam War in an appropriately harrowing manner.

The climactic shootout is ingeniously staged at night on a mountain commune with strobes flashing and Hank Snow/CCR music blaring. The final shots of the film are striking and memorable, particularly the stark image of a battered and worn but still not beaten Nolte marching along an endless set of railroad tracks in the New Mexico desert. It's only a shame Nolte didn't attempt a few more roles in this action vein while he was still young.

The film is available on DVD, though there are no extras. It would have been nice to have interviews, commentary, and deleted scenes (particularly the pivotal Nolte/Weld love scene, which was reportedly filmed but wound up being only implied in the final cut).