Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Predator[i]’s Dillon Betrayal

By: Andrew Nickerson

In military history/tactics/strategy, many names have risen/fallen over the ages, the reasons for the latter running the gamut from technology to politics. However, one name has endured every such trial with flying colors: Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War. This ancient general/philosopher is synonymous with military genius, namely because of his commonsense approach to warfare, plus his unique overall goal: winning. In fact, his approach is so effective one expert famously put it thus: “If you listen to Sun Tzu, if you follow his principles, you will be victorious; if you ignore him, you do so at your own peril, because you definitely lose.”[i] Furthermore, that same approach has proven universally effective, with everyone from athletes to businessmen to politicians having successfully used it to win.

            Yet, there’s one medium that remains curiously untapped: pop culture. If this approach is universally effective, why not here? To better understand, let’s look at an infamous plot arc: Dillon’s betrayal in the action classic Predator. More specifically, we’ll look at this using the following Sun Tzu principles: morality, terrain, leadership, preparation, improv, foreknowledge, and underestimation.

            As the film begins, a chopper lands in Central America, bearing an elite unit. Its members, grenadier Poncho, radioman Hawkins, scout Billy, and gunners Blaine and Mac, exit, followed by its leader, Dutch, who goes to meet the base’s commander for a briefing. Apparently, a chopper carrying a cabinet minister and his aide was recently lost, but they’ve managed to locate the crash-site via its transponder, a nice use of three of Sun Tzu’s Essential victory factors, terrain, good leadership, and preparation[ii], along with the principle “what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge”[iii]. Dutch then uses those same principles himself by pointing out the crash is on the opposite side of the border, but the commander quickly comments they strayed off-course and are in guerilla hands.

Here, another man enters the picture: Dillon, an old friend/comrade of Dutch who now works for the CIA. They have an amicable reunion, but when the former asks why the latter recently turned down another assignment, Dutch makes wonderful use of another Essential Victory Factor, morality[iv], with his answer: “We’re a rescue team, not assassins.” However, a series of hard twists begin occurring, starting with Dillon’s explaining the plan: they’ll hop over the border, grab the hostages, and bounce back AKA he’s going with them. Dutch immediately uses foreknowledge by pointing out his team always works alone, but the commander drops another bomb: once they’re finished, Dillon will take charge. It’s a hard revelation, for Dutch has clearly violated another principle, never underestimate a foe[v], in this case bureaucracy.

Nevertheless, the team moves in, only to have Dillon deliver another shock: once they cross the border, they’re on their own, a huge violation of underestimation by both Dutch and his team. Undaunted, they deploy, and the earlier use of prep and foreknowledge quickly pays off when they locate the downed chopper. From there, Dutch employs prep, foreknowledge, and two other principles, “be flexible; according as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one’s plans”[vi] or improv, and the leadership caveat “know how to use all forces”[vii], by sending Poncho and Dillon up to the chopper while having Billy locate the guerillas’ trail.

            Unfortunately, they uncover some startling facts, starting with Dutch determining the chopper was shot down by a heat-seeking missile, which he calls “pretty sophisticated for a bunch of half-assed mountain boys.” Then Poncho delivers his own bombshell: the chopper is a surveillance model. Clearly, all involved have violated underestimation yet again, in this case regarding both the guerrillas’ capabilities and their bureaucratic bosses, because this contradicts most of the briefing. Furthermore, Billy reappears, saying twelve guerrillas took the two men from the chopper, but there’s something else: six other men, all wearing U.S.-issued army boots, that apparently approached from the north then followed the enemy. Dutch quickly uses foreknowledge and the terrain caveat “make use of local guides”[viii] by asking Dillon about it, but the latter plays it off as just another rebel patrol, so the former uses improv to send Billy ahead to learn more.

Tragically, in the process, the latter stumbles upon the latest twist…and it’s a real shock: three horribly mutilated corpses dangling from a tree. It’s yet another sign they’ve violated underestimation, and Dutch wisely uses improv by having the team investigate. Mac soon finds a set of dog tags and tosses them to Dutch, who inadvertently gains more foreknowledge when he checks them: the men were Green Berets he once knew, meaning they were the ones detected earlier. In a nice use of improv, he has Mac cut down the bodies, then demands answers from Dillon, but the latter is equally shaken, claiming no one told him there was an operation in that area, hence they shouldn’t have been there. Billy’s subsequent report is equally confusing: apparently a firefight broke out, and the Green Berets were shooting in all directions, but he can’t find any tracks; furthermore, there’s no sign of the remaining three men.

Ultimately, Dutch wisely uses improv and leadership by having the team proceed with the mission, leading to the famed attack on the guerrillas’ village, an effort worthy of its own analysis. It’s a complete success, killing/capturing the entire garrison in an exceptional use of leadership, morality, terrain, and foreknowledge on the team’s part, as well as a miserable violation of underestimation by the guerillas. Unfortunately, its conclusion is the polar opposite, courtesy of two more underestimation violations, the first being the team’s learning they’re too late to save the hostages. Yet, the second—and much more significant—violation is Mac’s news: the “cabinet minister and his aide” were actually CIA; worse, the camp was full of Russian weapons, and there were Russian military advisors present. Thus, the final pieces fall into place: this entire operation was about doing the CIA’s dirty work.

Outraged, Dutch quickly uses improv and leadership by sending Mac to clear the area and get ready to move. Dillon now appears, only to have Dutch heroically use morality, foreknowledge, prep, and leadership to call him out. The former tries to claim they stopped a major invasion, only to clumsily violate underestimation when Dutch points out he lied about the Green Berets too. The latter promptly claims his men were in the chopper, so he used improv by sending in the Berets, only to have them vanish; hence, his superiors used improv by ordering him to bring in someone to crack the base. Sadly, Dillon’s proffered good intentions fall apart moments later when he coldly comments, “You’re an asset. An expendable asset. And I used you to get the job done, got it?” It’s a shameful violation of morality and leadership, but it’s quickly undone when Dutch uses those same principles in his wonderful riposte: “My men are not expendable. And I don’t do this kind of work.”

This was an ugly incident, stemming from a foolish mixture of bad leadership, outright lies, and a cold-blooded vendetta. Sadly, it’s only the start of these men’s ordeal at the hands of a far more malicious figure. Then again, it all goes back to what was said in the beginning: follow Sun Tzu, and you’ll win; ignore him, and you’ll lose.

[i] Art of War, dir. David W. Padrush (2009).

[ii] Lionel Giles, The Art of War (New York, NY; Fall River Press, 2011), 3.

[iii] Giles, The Art of War, 50.

[iv] Giles, The Art of War, 3.

[v] Giles, The Art of War, 33.

[vi] Giles, The Art of War, 4.

[vii] Giles, The Art of War, 11.

[viii] Giles, The Art of War, 24.

                                                                      Bibliography

McTiernan, John, director. Predator. 1987; 20^th Century Fox, 2010. 108 min. Blu-Ray.

Padrush, David W., director. The Art of War. 2009; A&E Television Networks, 2009. 94 min. DVD.

Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Lionel Giles. New York: Fall River Press, 2011.

[i] Predator, dir. John McTiernan (1987)

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Andrew’s originally from Massachusetts, and is a lifelong reader. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He can be found on Twitter (@AndrewNickers19) daily, analyzing characters via Sun Tzu.