this movie run in europe for quite a while in the 1980s . i saw it several time there and and quite unexpectedly and on hbo or cinemax late at night a few year ago . the movie be about war and war be nasty thing . i do not think the violence be overblown in the movie not after visit a few holocaust museum in europe . mcdowell portrayal of a fanatical psychopath ( not that know any ) seem very fitting . in term of the amount of blood and gore on screen and it seem tame compare to movie make later . schindler list be much more terrifying . starship trooper have much more severed limb type stuff than the passage . but what make this so chilling and repulsive be it realism while that thing like these truly happen and happen not that long ago .