Combat Shock

Frankie is a Vietnam veteran living in a deteriorating New York apartment, whose war memories repeatedly collide with his attempt to provide for his family. His trauma manifests as flashbacks and volatile impulses that push him toward violence. He fixates on the infant’s deformities as a sign of the war’s lasting damage, driving morally fraught decisions. His downward spiral anchors the film’s tragedy.

Cathy is Frankie's wife, pregnant and anxious about money, housing, and their fragile future. She endures Frankie’s deteriorating condition with fear and fatigue, highlighting how trauma affects family life. The couple's arguments reveal their fragile hopes amid mounting poverty. Her fear becomes a mirror of the film's brutal consequences.

Paco is the kingpin who controls the urban underworld Frankie encounters; he and his thugs brutalize Frankie, driving the violent confrontation. The power dynamic shows how crime and addiction networks entrap vulnerable individuals. His violence catalyzes the film’s turning point, culminating in a deadly shootout.

Terry is a strung-out junkie who embodies the street-level desperation fueling the crime economy. He claws for a fix in a system that offers little help, illustrating the social decay of the era. His presence underscores how addiction and poverty drive the actions of those on the fringes.

The social worker represents bureaucratic coldness that offers little real help to Frankie, reflecting the gap between welfare rhetoric and lived hardship. His interactions highlight the mismatch between systemic solutions and immediate family needs. This character grounds the film’s critique of social safety nets.

Frankie’s Father is a hardened elder who doubts his son’s survival and resists pulling him out of danger. His skepticism reflects the weight of poverty and the toll of family strain across generations. He embodies a pragmatic counterpoint to the family’s fragile hopes.

The Doctor treats wounded soldiers and civilians, a symbol of the overwhelmed medical system. He can validate injuries but cannot fully alleviate the family’s mounting misery. His presence underscores the limits of care within a war-torn urban environment.