Behind Enemy Lines (1986 film)

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Behind Enemy Lines
Pow the escape poster.jpg
Directed by Gideon Amir
Written by
Produced by Menahem Golan (producer)
Yoram Globus (executive producer)
Avi Kleinberger (associate producer)
Starring
Cinematography Yehiel Ne'eman
Edited by Marcus Manton
Music by David Storrs
Distributed by Cannon Films
Release date
  • April 4, 1986 (1986-04-04)(United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish, Vietnamese
Budget$2 million [1]
Box office$2,497,233 [2]

Behind Enemy Lines is a 1986 American action film directed by Gideon Amir and starring David Carradine. It is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue where Colonel Cooper, an Airborne commando, is sent to Vietnam to free American soldiers caught in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp.

Contents

The film is also known as Attack Force 'Nam (American DVD title), P.O.W. the Escape (American reissue title).

Plot

Colonel Cooper (David Carradine) is a U.S. Airborne commando who comes to Vietnam with a special mission to liberate imprisoned American soldiers. He gets caught in a North Vietnamese POW camp where there are other Paratroopers and Soldiers. Action is set at the end of the war and he, as the highest-ranking officer in the POW camp, is to be sent to Hanoi and prosecuted by the North Vietnamese. Camp commander Vinh (Mako Iwamatsu) gets an order to send him to court but instead of obeying it, he offers Cooper a deal - he will help him get to the American sector and then Cooper, in return, would help him immigrate to the United States, where Vinh has family.

Cooper promptly disregards his proposition, as he is a tough soldier who would rather sacrifice his own life than help the enemy. However Vinh is persistent persuading him, threatening that if he will not accept his deal, then all of the fellow prisoners from his camp will die. Given that threat Cooper reconsiders Vinh's offer, and accepts the deal, but under one condition - all of the camp prisoners must go with them. Vinh, being short of time (as Hanoi set deadline for sending Cooper to court) OK's the plan and so they leave camp in column of two jeeps and a truck (prisoners are hidden in a tank truck while Cooper goes with Vinh in a jeep). Their journey won't be without obstacles as they need to go through zones controlled by The North Vietnamese, and through the jungle wilderness.

Cast

Soundtrack

Cannon re-used some of the musical scores from 'The Delta Force" (1986)

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References

  1. Andrew Yule, Hollywood a Go-Go: The True Story of the Cannon Film Empire, Sphere Books, 1987 p189
  2. Box Office Mojo