As another reviewer pointed out, the whole story is contrived, with students at a military school having weaponry a real military school wouldn't have, the real military outside the school trying to end the situation not doing as it would have done in real life, and so forth. The idea wasn't even intended to be real-life anyway; it was meant to show how idealistic students go crazy with the idea of honor and end up confronting the outside world.
The film is most notable for its cast of then-young actors such as Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton who would go on to bigger careers later on. More of a time capsule than a realistic drama.
The film is most notable for its cast of then-young actors such as Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton who would go on to bigger careers later on. More of a time capsule than a realistic drama.