The film centers on Ivan (John Savage), a WWII P.O.W. who returns to his small hometown after the war. He survived in the P.O.W. camp by imagining a marriage and life with Maria (Nastassia Kinski), the prettiest girl he knew growing up. When he gets home, he woos and marries her, but cannot consummate the marriage. This naturally leads to dysfunction, frustration, and infidelity. Also starring Keith Carradine as a fast-talking, wandering balladeer, Robert Mitchum (with a beard) as Savage's father, Vincent Spano, Bud Cort, John Goodman, Bill Smitrovich, and Tracy Nelson.
The script is all over the place, with some scenes achieving some frank honesty and emotional truth, while others seem wildly florid and almost campily over-the-top. Savage's natural tendencies to be a bit histrionic in his performances works okay here, since his character is supposed to be a bit unbalanced and dealing with PTSD. Kinski delivers her most mature performance to date, but she's still a bit rough around the edges, and some lines come out clunky.
Carradine steals the movie, though, with an oily turn as a seedy Lothario. Mitchum just has to be gruff and drunk, which was never a problem for him. Anyone with prudish sensibilities should be forewarned that there's a lot of heavy breathing here, as well.
