[4][5] Wayne Archer (Allan Royal) and Jean-Claude Archambeault (Robert Lalonde) are two military officers from Canada's "two solitudes," an Anglophone and a Francophone.

Forced by circumstance and personal injury to make the best of a bad situation, the "dumb Anglo" and the "stupid Pepsi", as they had called each other, work together to survive in the frozen wilderness and develop a grudging mutual respect as they leave aside their differences and bitter prejudices.

[6] The Fighting Men was made to be shown as part of a weekly programme of Canadian and international films which aired on Saturday Night Movies, on a budget of $400,000.

While he found Allan Royal's acting superficial, Robert Lalonde was far more believable, despite the fact that Archambeault comes across as "quite dumb" during the encounter with wolves, and leaving the transmitter on through the storm: "this guy was supposed to be a radioman...

[12]George Pratley described the film as a well-made, "familiar service story made fresh and interesting by taking place in the Canadian armed forces.