Keith Carradine and Powers Boothe did not receive an Oscar nominations for portraying Private First Class Spencer & Corporal Charles Hardin respectively in Southern Comfort.
Southern Comfort from Walter Hill is about a group of Army National Guard who come afoul of some backwoods locals via a mistake that leads to violence. A largely effective film, though the very end feels a bit rushed.
Keith Carradine is probably one of the most underrated leading men of his era, offering such a unique offbeat charisma to his role. Ideal then for the role of a national guardsman who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Carradine plays the anti-establishment soldier, although here quite different in that he's not the typical army or anywhere near a traditional warzone. Carradine delivers instead a more casual sort of roughish energy to his performance as the character introduces himself by remarking, not too positively, on some of his fellow soldiers from the country. Carradine's performance creates the right sense of a man who is a bit dismissive, but actually not too dismissive. Fittingly Carradine shows the man making the joke, but given what they're there for is technically a training game, there isn't too much seriousness to even his dismissiveness. Carradine though expresses the nature of the man as someone who seems to have a good head on his shoulders even if his eyes denote a certain sly sense of humor at the same time. Powers Boothe, who just might have one of the greatest names known to man, was a particularly reliable character actor. Here he is kind of sort of the co-star of Carradine providing a terrific contrast yet also similarity. Powers's innate presence is that of a striking strength, and here he brings that with a stoic command. He differs a bit though in that he shows also shows a man who isn't all that much of a believer in his fellow soldiers, Hardin differs as a transferred soldier, but his manner is more of exasperation towards nonsense rather than the jovial approach we see with Hardin.
Both do what is essential for this narrative and completely accentuate the sensible nature of each man in these early interactions, even when Hardin turns down Spencer's offered opportunity for meeting a prostitute, it is with just a blunt deliver of a man who has his specific moral stances and doesn't need to preach about them, he just believes in them. Carradine on the other hand though just still presents a man in Spencer who finds his little ways to enjoy life whenever he can, in whatever way he can. The two emphasize that these men as likable and more than anything reasonable even as they are separate in what makes them different. Boothe and Carradine create a great dynamic by Carradine being the off-the-books potential hero and Boothe being the by-the-books man. This is in contrast to their fellow soldiers who are as much of the source of the trouble as are the locals who return fire against the soldiers, after one of the soldiers foolishly, though jokingly, shot blanks at them. With the first casualty being their CO, we get the breakdown and in this we get the sides forming of the soldiers who want to meet the violence with violence, those in the middle who have no idea what to do, and Spencer and Hardin. Boothe and Carradine again are terrific here in taking you from too many making their way in this pretty low-stakes situation and instantly bringing you into the high-stakes situation. Their reactions are both just completely honest in emphasizing the sudden horror and disbelief of the situation. Each man just showing in their eyes reason more than anything. Walter Hill is in a way often a director of few words, and oftentimes very much relies on the actor to convey a lot. Luckily here he has both Carradine and Boothe who bring you right into the reality of the situation and these two men.
Both Boothe and Carradine are fantastic in creating in each moment a subtle shift essentially in each man due to the immediate danger of their situation. One is just the two men coming to an understanding basically because both see each other as sensible. I love Boothe's just straightforward delivery of this message and Carradine's almost surprised but understanding reaction just realizes the two men so well in the moment of solidarity through sanity. Each man shifts through in his character so effectively and naturally as the situation becomes direr. Boothe presents a hardening and greater gritty conviction. The certain exasperation is gone in his eyes he shows the determination of the man to survive but also does what is right. Carradine on the other hand gradually loses that casualness that defined his early scenes. Finding instead this internalized power of someone basically finding their strength in the situation. His delivery becomes tenser, his eyes becoming that much more ensured, even with a sense of fear, of showing that in a way the best of Spencer comes from the worst of the situation. Each has to take extreme measures to go. We see that in Spencer taking charge as much as he can and Carradine wielding power in desperation so potently. With Boothe, we see this righteous, and honestly righteous conviction as he fights to the death to save a local. Boothe is great at the moment in just exuding the sense of certainty in the man's eyes as he fights for the man, not for any love or anything, but just because it is what is right. All at the same time the two are so good in just crafting a sense of understanding between the two that grows towards a greater sense of connection. There isn't too much time spent on this, again it's by Hill, but it is all in their performance. This is to the point that by the final sequence you see each man wholly have that connected sense with each other as they try to survive, both actors also pulling you as the audience into their plight. Every moment is given proper resonance and visceral connection by their performance that give life both to their characters and to the situation. The best compliment I can give actually is that both Boothe and Carradine succeed in not making either of their characters seem underwritten. They rather wholly thrive within the film's style and each gives a hero you can root for, Carradine in crafting a charming rogue and Boothe making for a proper strong silent type.
