Pluskylang Great Film overall

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

buddyboy28 I am not usually a fan of War films, but this is not a typical War film.It's not a grand-scale action movie with big battle scenes. It's a low-key Vietnam War drama about the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a Vietnamese girl at the hands of a group of US soldiers.The film focuses on Michael J.Fox who plays Erikkson,a naïve soldier who has only been in Vietnam for three weeks. His Sergeant is played by Sean Penn,a tough,efficient soldier who is just about hanging onto his sanity amongst the chaos and destruction that's going on around him.Whilst relaxing in a village,Meserve's closest friend,and radio operator,Brownie,is shot,and later dies. This is the point where Merserve starts to lose it. And when he and the rest of his men are refused entry into a brothel,he decides to kidnap a local village girl and use her as their sex slave.Brian De Palma proves again what a masterful filmmaker he is,in scene after scene,shot after shot. The film is grim,and disturbing in many parts,but his style and cinematography is so good, it's difficult to look away from. This was a film that he'd been wanting to make for years,and you can tell when you watch the film that he was passionate about it,and wasn't just interested in showing sex,or violence for the sake of exploitation,or just to shock,which he has been accused of sometimes.For instance the rape sequence is brilliantly filmed. It goes without saying that rape scenes are always uncomfortable to watch, but the rape scene here is surprisingly the least graphic I've seen from a visual point of view. There's hardly any nudity,and there's no close-ups of the sex act. However, emotionally it is one of the most disturbing. Partly because there's such a long build up to it. As soon as the girl has been kidnapped, we know what her fate is going to be. Partly because it's a group of soldiers that are committing the act on her, and partly because De Palma films it in a way that puts the audience in Erikkson's place. While the rape goes on,he is helplessly on look out duty, and it's filmed from his point of view as he watches the soldiers from a distance in the hut, taking it in turns with the girl. We feel what Eriksson feels, horrified and angry. It's a disturbing yet stunning piece of filmmaking and Ennio Morricone's haunting music makes it even more effective. We don't see Erikkson again until the moment when Meserve approaches him,and then we finally get a close-up of his face. This is the moment where Erikkson has become demoralised.His face speaks volumes about what he's seen. The moment where the girl is killed is equally unsettling. Again, De Palma avoids sensational violence and shows the girl been stabbed in the distance behind Erikkson as he is taking out the Vietcong with his rifle and doesn't even notice what is going on behind him. The close-up of the girl been shot dead is shocking and filmed again from Erikkson's point of view, as he witnesses this tragedy whilst trying to prevent her death.The third and final section of the film focuses on Erikkson's attempts to bring his comrades to justice. This was a part of the film that I felt lacked something in the theatrical version but now thanks to the extended cut, I think it's just as powerful as the events leading up to it. There's only 6 minutes of extra footage but it adds to it. There's a scene where Erikkson is interrogated by two Military agents that was missing before. It's a great scene because it now explains how the investigation began after Erikkson's Captain and Lieutenant tried to dismiss it. Again, De Palma films the interview well with one long tracking shot.And the courtroom scene is brilliant too. While each of the four guilty soldiers are been prosecuted,we are not shown anybody else in the room,we just see each of the soldiers and hear the voices of the lawyers. It's also one of the most shocking moments because it's the moment when these criminals are shown in all their glory. Obviously you never forget that they are soldiers during the events leading up to their trial, but all through the kidnapping they are rough and dirty unshaven.Here they are clean and shaved, dressed in their formal uniform and wearing their medals but it doesn't change the fact that they are rapists and murderers. The extra scene here shows Erikkson been cross-examined. It further drives home the point that even though Erikkson didn't take part in the incident, he failed to save her, and he feels as guilty as if he did take part in it and it will ultimately haunt him for the rest of his life.Michael J.fox doesn't belong in a serious War film but he's perfectly cast here. His youthful looks work for the part of the innocent, naive young soldier ,and his short stature works for the "ordinary,everyday man" caught up in an unthinkable situation. His acting his outstanding throughout. He does have a few bits of clunky dialogue,but it's not his fault,it's the writer David Rabe who actually served in Vietnam, trying to get some moral points across. Fox handles it well. But it's mainly his subtlety I was impressed with throughout. His expressions speak volumes. I've never been a fan of Sean Penn. I've always found him to be an overrated,scenery-chewing actor and I still feel he's the same here. But I think it kind of works this time because of the extremes of the situation his character is in.This is a thought-provoking, powerful piece of cinema that shows the best and worst traits of human behaviour. It's a difficult film to watch at times but I've seen it many times because of the performances and film-making. It's a masterpiece.

Avid Climber Casualties of War shows that war can be ugly for more than the obvious reasons. A great dramatic piece by Brian De Palma.The good. Excellent score. Once past the intro, powerful mood. Riveting story. Well built scenario, very logical and nicely paced. Emotionally disturbing.The actors. Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn are just perfect as antagonist. Don Harvey fits his crazy role very well. John C. Reilly plays the simpleton with convincing clarity. And I'll just mention in passing a good performance by Ving Rhames.The bad. The initial jungle scenes lack realism, as well as some over-acting by the black guy in the first part.The ugly. Nothing.The result. An emotional and brutal movie. Not for the faint of heart.

Leofwine_draca CASUALTIES OF WAR tells the excruciating true story of a squad of American soldiers during the Vietnam War, who kidnap and rape a young Vietnamese girl in the name of fun. The story is told through the youthful and innocent eyes of Michael J. Fox, in a rare dramatic performance that may be his career-best.Films like this can hardly be enjoyed, but CASUALTIES OF WAR proves to be unmissable entertainment and one of the harshest war stories out there; also, one of the best. It's a bit like watching a film of a train wreck, where you can't tear yourself away from what's happening and what you know is going to happen. The tragic, soul-searing story is one of the most moving I've ever seen.A film like this needs a great director to tell it, and de Palma is that director. He wisely lets the story tell itself for the most part, but he can't resist incorporating a couple of flourishes (like the POV sequence) that remind us of his skill as an auteur. The cast is great, too, particularly the newbie actors (John C. Reilly and John Leguizano) playing soldiers and Sean Penn as the hateful sergeant. Understandably, Thuy Thu Le has the toughest role, and it's one she walks away from with her head held high; if ever an actress deserved an Oscar nod, it's her.

butlerwm I've watched this film four times; the most recent being less than an hour ago. It's difficult to say the file is enjoyable because the subject matter is painful and sad. However, it leaves you feeling emotionally spent with moments that, if they don't send you to the brink of tearful sorrow, you must analyze the fabric of your being and whether you have a heart.Set in the jungles of Viet Nam, the movie follows a squad of men on a long range recon, where they kidnap, rape, and subsequently murder a Vietnamese village girl. It marks Michael J. Fox's best performance but the role of the girl played by Thuy Thu Le, is a performance like none found in any film before or since.This remains the single most difficult film for me to watch but over the years, I find myself drawn to it again and again because it is so powerfully written and tells a story the likes of which it is difficult to find anywhere else....and then there is the music...