The Odd Angry Shot

The Odd Angry Shot
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tom Jeffrey
Produced by	Sue Milliken, Tom Jeffrey
Written by	Tom Jeffrey
Based on	novel by William Nagle
Starring	Graham Kennedy, Bryan Brown, John Hargreaves, John Jarratt, Graeme Blundell, Ian Gilmour, Richard Moir
Music by	Michael Carlos
Edited by	Brian Kavanagh
Distributed by	Village Roadshow Limited
Release date	1 March 1979
Running time	92 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	A$600,000
Box office	A$866,000 (Australia)

The Odd Angry Shot is a 1979 war film following the experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. The movie, which was shot on location in New South Wales and Queensland, traces the tour of duty of an Australian Special Air Service Regiment reconnaissance team from their departure to their return home to Australia. It avoids much of the political comment on Australia’s involvement in Vietnam; unlike Hollywood films which tend to explore the rights and wrongs of the Vietnamese conflict.

The film focuses on the soldiers in their cantonments away from the battlefield. Spending the bulk of their time playing cards, smoking, drinking beer, nursing their tinea, making jokes and messing about with American forces. The film also contains some small scale battle scenes. When the men return to Australia, they reflect on how both they and the general Australian society have changed.

Bill, a young new recruit in the Australian Special Air Service, arrives for his year-long tour of duty in Vietnam. Other members of his section include Harry, the section's Corporal and the oldest and most worldly-wise of the group, along with Bung, Rogers, Dawson and Scott. The close-knit group cope with their circumstances with a mixture of humour, cheek, practical jokes and copious quantities of beer. Harry has an ongoing verbal feud with the company cook over the questionable quality of the food. During the first weeks of their stay in Vietnam, their biggest enemies are mud, boredom, tinea and the never-ending torrential rains. However the real war strikes suddenly one night when an enemy mortar barrage hits their camp claiming a number of casualties. The section's first operation takes place shortly afterwards; a short sharp engagement in the dense jungle, which leaves Scott mortally wounded and one wounded Viet Cong who escapes. This encounter sets the tone for the remainder of their tour. Long, exhausting patrols which are periodically interrupted by short savage encounters with either the enemy, mines or booby-traps.