User reviews

This Kazan family project shot at their own home was poorly received at the time, no doubt because no one was ready for a bleakly negative fictional portrait of returning Vietnam vets yet, when the war was still going on. (Hollywood wouldn't really start dealing with the war until a few years after it was over, with "Coming Home," "Deer Hunter," "Hamburger Hill," "Boys From Company C" and other films starting around 1978.) But now it's stripped-down unpleasantness can be appreciated as potent, and adventuresome in its low-budget indie style production (with then-unknown actors) coming from such a fabled mainstream filmmaker.

There's a very long buildup that is successfully tense, as veteran James Woods' old army "buddies" (Steve Railsback, Chico Martinez) turn up uninvited at his rural home, or rather the house of his well-off writer father-in-law (Patrick McVey), who's letting his daughter (Patricia Joyce) live there with Woods and their baby son. It's a tense reunion, because Woods had testified against his fellow soldiers after they'd abducted, raped and killed a young Vietnamese woman, and the visitors just finished a prison stint as a result. It's made worse by the father-in-law, a blowhard who quickly gets drunk, "bonding" with the newcomers at the expense of the son-in-law he thinks is a "damn hippie" or something.

Could could see this as a sort of sequel to "Casualties of War," even if that movie was made 16 years later, in that both were loosely based on the same real-life incident, and this film takes place after the events of "War"-when the perps had been convicted, and Sean Penn's glint-eyed sergeant has promised some kind of revenge against Michael J. Fox's "squealer." Penn is really chilling in that film, and so is Railsback here as basically the same character, though he also gets some dialogue that provides some psychological depth-the movie isn't black & white in moral terms, painting the visitors as simple villains. All the actors here are very good, and every character (except the baby of course) is allowed a degree of weakness or flaw that keeps its dynamics from becoming that of a crude home-invasion-style thriller.

Basically it's a "nothing happening" movie for most of its runtime, but all the while gradually pulling the tension tighter and tighter until it seems inevitable that the worst will happen. Probably the reason "The Visitors" was so disliked at the time wasn't just because it was unpleasant politically and otherwise, but because when the worst does happen, it's not cathartic-it just rubs in the general air of no-win negativity--a rub-your-face-in-it quality underlined by the lack of any musical scoring whatsoever. American movies had mostly been dealing with Vietnam war guilt in roundabout ways via revisionist westerns ("Soldier Blue," "Little Big Man"), counterculture dramas ("Billy Jack") and so forth, but this was a discomfitingly more direct statement. Not sure if it's a great movie, but it's certainly an underrated one that reflects the uneasy mood of its time as well as any.

I recently saw this obscure film on cable and was not ready for the disturbance it set in me afterwards. It is a basic retelling of many story's we've seen before, (old army buddies come back after the war to seek redemption on the friend that did them wrong) but it was a bit of a stand out in the it has a very unexpected, shocking ending. It explores the violence and the tension of the situation well, moving slowly and methodically, which works for a while but then falls short, as you have to say "enough all ready" and get on with it.

Decent performance by a young James Woods and also by Steve Railsback in his first film (who later goes on to star if the cult classic "Life Force". All and all, if you can get past the amateurish production value, an OK exploration of violence and invasion that just takes forever to get going. If you liked Michael Haneke's "Funny Games" (though I particularly didn't) I would recommend this film.

If you look at this in terms of Kazan's career and the way he puts his own experience in every film (even though I'm sure he'd rather not, but he just can't help himself), this is a masterpiece. If you look at it in terms of commercial cinema, you might describe it as an interesting failure. (Leonard Maltin's book describes it as a BOMB.) All I know is that I was on the edge of my seat screaming at the television, it must have had something going for it.

The filming has a "Night of the Living Dead" kind of quality, and is just as harrowing. I wish I didn't relate to Kazan's misanthropic view of humanity, but I do. If you think you're an expert on what makes a good movie, skip this, it's not for you. If you're interested in looking at the dark and fascinating side of people who do evil things, don't miss it. A depressing but great movie. At least someone knows enough about this stuff to put it in a film; the bad part is when we have to live through it.

Slow and creepy, The Visitors is a very low budget story about two Army buddies, newly released from the stockade after serving their terms for rape, who drop in on the comrade responsible for their conviction. Very slow, but rewarding, and definitely worth a look as an unsung classic of 70s cinema.

After 53 minutes, I don't know if its going to turn into a PTSD "FUN and GAMES" or OPEN SEASON. All know is Sgt. Tony Meserve and PFC Antonio Diaz have done their time and now drop by the house of CPL Errikson to as CPT. HILL told him "Get a Lil' PAY-BACK!" Meserve is still the psycho soldier has found a home In the ARMY he always was. Diaz however has emerged from Jail, as the confidant, slick, clotheshorse. Meanwhile Errikson's has been hiding up in the hills, living off of his wife and her rich dad. His passives ways have earned him any praise from his neighbors and the Patriarch of his family. Meanwhile Diaz with his fancy dress shoe, and crew-cut sporting Meserve are out hunting with Erriksons father in law. On the way back their throwing around the Ole' Pigskin. Big daddy lets the boys know that he's done a little something something to the Germans back in WWII. But remember this is a slow-paced film.

Many of you have probably seen Brian De Palma's Casualties of War from 1987. CoW was based on a real story, this fictional 1972 film shows what happened afterward. All I can say is that this is an incredibly intriguing, but sadly forgotten film.

There are many other aspects that make this film special. First of all it's James Wood's debut, second it's allegedly the first fictional film to deal with Vietnam in a serious manner, and third because of how intense the film manages to get. The very set-up sends flashbacks to Funny Games. Two old army buddies of Wood's shows up at his house. This might seem nice enough, but even without the knowledge I had you get the feeling that something is wrong. These are the men Wood's turned in for raping and killing a Vietnamese girl.

The atmosphere screams of dread and you sit back horrified wondering when it's all going to explode. Unlike Kazan's other features it's not visually beautiful in the traditional sense, though it does have many haunting images. This film seeks a more personal touch, again one that might appear somewhat similar to Haneke's minimalism. One thing I found fascinating is that it often cuts the heads of it's characters, which creates an unnatural and weird, albeit very effective atmosphere.

It's also wonderfully contained - there's basically just one setting - their house and the area near by. This only intensifies the whole situation. Of course it does have some small problems. For example the character doesn't seem to realize how serious the situation actually is. But this is one scary flick, and I would definitely recommend it!

(1972) The Visitors WAR DRAMA

Somewhat controversial subject matter that centers on common law couple, Bill Schmidt (James Woods) and Martha Wayne (Patricia Joyce) with their young baby Hal. While Martha's dad, Harry Wayne (Patrick McVey) lives next door, we find out is a Western novelist. And just when Bill decides to leave on the following morning on a drive to grab the newspaper, two people show up we find out used to belong to the same army regiment as Bill and wanted to see him or "The Visitors" hence the title. Their names are Antonio Rodriguez (Chico Martínez) or Tony for short and Sgt. Mike Nickerson (Steve Railsback). And as the movie is progressing we find out both Tony and Mike used to be court martialed by one of their own regimen Bill, and it was at this point their motives for showing up at Bill's residence is ambiguous.

This curio is a low budget drama directed by Elia Kazan from a script by his son. This is probably one of the first times audiences got to see James Woods in a leading role. He plays Bill, a young man, just back from the Vietnam War and living in a rural menage with his girl, her older husband, and his child. The older guy is a Hemingwayesque writer with a penchant for booze, and Patrick McVey plays the role with aplomb. At their door appear a couple of Bill's old army buddies, and one of them has a grudge to work out, since Bill ratted him out something back in the war zone. The young woman gets into it too, and the tension grows to an inevitable confrontation. There are no revelations here, but it is worth a look.

Really wanted to like 'The Visitors' so much more. Am a great admirer of Elia Kazan, really like to love almost all his films (his best work being iconic classics and even lesser work is watchable) and deeply respect his directing of actors, of which he is rightly considered one of the best at and it is obvious in almost all his films. Also have often gotten a lot of fun out of James Woods', in his debut here, ability to steal every scene he is in in most of his films, regardless of my negative feelings of him as a person he is always a lot of fun to watch.

'The Visitors' just didn't do it for me, though it does have its moments. It is Kazan's penultimate film and is the only one to actually properly not feel like it was directed by him, this could easily have passed for being mistaken for a film from somebody else entirely. The subject was really intriguing and difficult and could have made for a hard-hitting and emotional experience, but not near enough is done with it despite the promising start. Being somebody that dislikes concept-wastes, that did frustrate me. As far as Kazan's work goes, 'The Visitors' to me is one of his worst.

As said, 'The Visitors' has good points. The scenery is both beautiful and unforgiving, which suited the subject brilliantly. The music is suitably ominous, again fitting. The film starts off very suspensefully and intriguingly, and has moments that are quite shocking. The best scenes are actually the ones that are the hardest to watch.

Scenes that will be too upsetting for some. The dog murder and the rape being the most memorable. 'The Visitors' sees Woods at his most vulnerable, subtle and touching without showing signs of inexperience, words not usually commonly associated with Woods' performances generally. Not a bad thing just to say, just an observation. Steve Railsback plays his even meatier role with steely intensity. Patricia Joyce and Patrick McVey are also very good, McVey being the most experienced of the four and that experience shows.

Kazan's usual directorial brilliance unfortunately doesn't really come through here in 'The Visitors'. Here it was like he was uninterested in the material or not at ease with it, all his other films were far more engagingly, intensely and tastefully directed, whereas this just didn't feel like a Kazan film visually or tonally. 'The Visitors' is also perhaps his least accomplished film visually, scenery aside. Despite having serious problems with 'The Sea of Grass' and from memory 'The Last Tycoon', at least they were well made, visually this was uncharacteristically amateurish work. Very sloppy and disorganised, which cannot be said about Kazan usually.

Despite the promising start, 'The Visitors' badly under-explores the great idea it has. The hard-hitting and emotion only come in spurts, most of the time it's dreary and meandering furthermore done in bad taste. The pace is at its worst interminably dull and there is far too much talk. None of it really that interesting. The story lacks atmosphere and the complex subject matter could have done with a far more pull no punches and nuanced approach, as it comes over as indifferent and bland generally apart from some good moments. There is not really that much interesting about the characters, the only character to get some development is Nickerson.

On the whole, watchable for curiosity and completest sake but not a great or good representation of Kazan. 5/10

Untypical material for Kazan: this curiously amateurish amalgam of ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948) and THE DESPERATE HOURS (1955), updated for the Vietnam era, is unworthy of the director's unquestionable talent (despite being written by his own son!) and emerges as a pointless talking marathon - in which the dialogue is muffled most of the time anyway, because of poor sound recording!

Patricia Joyce comes off best from the hand-picked cast, which includes James Woods' debut role as the wimpish hero(!) and Steve Railsback as one of his two revenge-seeking war buddies; these actors must have thought that they had it made when they were chosen by Award-winning director Kazan (who had, after all, virtually discovered Marlon Brando, James Dean and Warren Beatty) to feature in his next movie but, unfortunately for them, THE VISITORS sank without trace despite being an official entry in that year's Cannes Film Festival!

While the film could easily have turned into a nasty shocker in the vein of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) - which might even have been preferable in the long run - the story just meanders on towards a lame and inconclusive ending. At least, the film's snowy setting provides a nice pictorial backdrop...

Two friends from the Vietnam War visit their old platoon buddy James Woods! They chit-chat, watch football, drink with the father-in-law, run on a lake of ice, kill a dog, y'know all the usual stuff!

When James Woods is the most likable character in a movie, you know that's a bad sign. Steve Railsback (the guy from Stunt Man) is slightly menacing. Other than that . . .

A rather boring cinematic experience. The father-in-law is slightly incestuous, which makes this film way more skeevy than it should be! The last ten minutes are exceptionally depressing! You've been warned, everybody!

Two films are related to this one: Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" and Brian de Palma's "Casualties of War", all equally brutal and revolting, they all tell the same story but in different ways, and this one is like a chamber play version of the drama. Is it an anatomy of the infamous "post traumatic stress disorder", all three characters are Vietnam veterans recently returned from the war, one disgusted by it and practically a pacifist, while the other two, who come to visit him casually by the way, have some unfinished business with him. The moment they enter the house you know what is going to happen, it is over-obvious from the beginning, but Elia Kazan as the master director he was, builds it up carefully and slowly detail by detail, gradually starting up the tension and the towering suspension all through the disaster to the bitter end, finally leaving all four characters hanging in the air with the ruins of their lives. It is brutal and barbaric, but that is what war does to people. They never recover.

Its like rishab pant imitating cheteshwar pujara.

Why would a director like KAZAN with a flamboyant crackling visual style join the dreary cinema verite movement? Well, his wife put him upto it. Jeez!

From IMDB trivia:

Very much a family affair for Elia Kazan. It was inspired by his wife Barbara Loden's critically acclaimed film Wanda (1970), while his son, Chris Kazan, wrote the screenplay.

Anyway, war veteran (JAMES WOODS) seems to be living a dull life with his sexy idealistic anti-establishment wife, her old school manly father who is a writer and kid. But the arrival of two old army buddies spoil his tranquil life. They have some beef with the war veteran. The characters circle each other in a closed environment, go hunting and drink a lot. The film can boast of perfectly capturing a gloomy wintery atmosphere. The brooding STEVE RAILSACK is very impressive as one of the soldiers. I found the film to be quite dreary. Dont think i like the cinema verite style so much.

(6/10)

Elia Kazan's last great work comes from an original script by his son Chris (his only screenplay), which is inspired by a 1969 article from The New Yorker Magazine. The article's real story was filmed by Brian De Palma's underrated work "Casualties of War"; Kazan's film is an 'what if...' kind of situation where viewers could see it as a real sequel to De Palma's film. Both are outstanding films, with high caliber performances and plenty of drama and tension, uncomfortable moments and filled with thought-provoking themes.

The very first serious fictional film about the Vietnam conflict (step aside "The Deer Hunter"), the film isn't necessarily about the war but mostly about the players at a war, and the ever changing rules of the game whose outcome isn't necessarily good. Here, war seems a distant fog that somehow always finds its way to get deeper in the memories of all the five major characters from the film. Martha and Bill (Patricia Joyce and James Woods) are a nice couple, they have a baby, and they're quietly living in this small farm estate owned by her father (Patrick McVey), a war veteran from another era who now writes novels. A simple day in their lives, Bill goes out for something and when he returns, his wife tells him that two of his army buddies were there for a visit. They're played by Steve Railsback and Chico Martínez. By this part of this story, if you're not into reading plots you can only imagine that something was really wrong between those friends during their time in Vietnam, the tension cuts the air like a sharp sword and those two caustic visitors aren't there for a friendly visit. They will disturb the family's apparent peace and quiet.

Brilliantly, "The Visitors" avoids taking the usual route of turning into a horrific thriller, instead focusing on minor disturbances that permeates very quietly. Before that, we have the opportunity to see Sgt. Nickerson and Rodrigues trying to establish contacts with the couple; later on going to lady's father house - and the man adores them practically since they can exchange war experiences; then we gradually understand that Woods character is deeply concerned about their visit. Most I can tell, so you can enjoy the film, is exactly the view Martha gets from Bill about what happened in Vietnam and revolved around a court martial - but if you're familiar with "Casualties of War" you know the real deal.

With a pulsating twisting nerve, "The Visitors" is an intense film that deepens the wounds a nation weren't yet ready to get exposed, except in news media, when it comes to not only the already exhausted Vietnam conflict but also the reality of the veterans coming back home to not find much prospect of a new life. It's not like both Kazan's movie is a highly political film but the themes are there. Anguish, revenge, shock of different values and the effects of a war, it's all present in great dialogues, strong unforgettable moments. Woods and Railsback deliver knockout performances, with the latter carrying an intense gaze, lack of words but menacing effect - which he used to play many other intense characters later in his career; and the former playing a vulnerable type whose expressions are getting more and more worried, unlike anything he has ever done. With the exception of McVey, all the four main actors are making their film debut in this picture and they were all great.

My problems with the film is some settings that look implausible or fail to convince much; the guitar song that seems to announce the most awaited third act, it just doesn't work. This was a serious candidate in becoming a perfect classic of the 1970's, an era with many realistic inputs and conventions, almost similar to the Dogma movement of the 1990's with some films making use of music from original sources in the background, no new composition - in fact, it's classic songs that Kazan used as a background without no indication of let's say music playing on a stereo - which also happens later on with great pieces and to a spectacular tense effect. But when he introduces the guitar theme it just puts you off from the effect of seeing a more realistic piece of filmmaking, almost like an exciting play - and I wonder how come there's no play version of this? But Kazan succeeds in making a more intimate film, very independently, modest and somber.

And through everything presented, we wonder what the future will bring to those characters?

Watched it last night. Started well and I admit had suspense, but didn't follow through. It was one of those movies which just dragged on and on. When something does happen your like that is it. Had an awful ending which left the audience with questions. Seemed to be made by a disturbed director. I still don't see the point in the movie. Wanna waste an hour and a half watch The Visitors.

Pros: Good actors and setting. Cons: No real story or reasoning.

Sorry if I don't agree with other users. For me there is nothing worse than a great beginning with a poor ending. There is no excuse and seemed kind of lazy.

FYI I signed up just to let people know how bad this movie is.

A couple spend a quiet day at home, until the husband's 2 Vietnam "pals" come to visit. I saw this for two reasons. First of all, I feel Kazan was a great director and ,secondly, i adore James Woods.This is a very moody film that paints the world very bleak and creepy. It does draw you into it, the way you wait for the inevitable something to happen. the ending just didn't jibe for me. Did she want what happened? It seemed that way a little bit. Also it ends too abruptly.

My Grade:C

Where I saw it: showtime extreme

Eye Candy:Patricia Joyce topless briefly