Dreckige Hunde

A soldier returning from Vietnam agrees to smuggle some heroin for a friend but the Feds are on to the scheme. Nolte is dynamic as the cynical war vet who becomes a reluctant drug runner. Weld is fine as a drug-addict hippie. However, it is Moriarty who steals the film with his hilariously deadpan performance as a somewhat dim-witted fellow who sees drug dealing as a way to make a quick buck. The banter among Moriarty and agents Masur and Sharkey is often quite amusing. Although it opens in Saigon, Vietnam is not the focus of this film, unlike two high-profile films released the same year, "The Deer Hunter" and "Coming Home." Instead, this is a morality tale about drugs.