An American soldier and an Arab soldier confront each other during wartime in the desert, each hoping to kill the other. But in order to survive, they must lay down their arms and cooperate.
Acting
Pitt and Koteas carry 30 minutes of pure psychological warfare
Direction
Darby stretches minimalism to its breaking point
Cinematography
Desert emptiness becomes a third combatant
Director
Jonathan Darby
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Brad Pitt's second film with Elias Koteas; they'd reunite in The Prophecy the following year.
Released during Gulf War aftermath, it subverted the era's triumphant military narratives by refusing easy catharsis.
US
