The film follows three US marines from the Iwakuni marine base in Japan. All three were involved in the Vietnam war and became severely disillusioned in the army. The film traces their political ‘re-education’ and director Teshigahara and scriptwriter Nathan create a nice balance between the general and the special. Two of the marines desert, the third stays on, despite his principles, ‘within the system’. He is the only one to talk straight to camera. These short shots contrast with the more traditional narrative sequences about the other two. The film avoids the all too obvious polarisation by focusing on the emotions and words of the marines and by following them in slow camera movement.
