Casualties Of War
(1989)
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After being denied the chance to go to a nearby village to visit a prostitute before starting a reconnaissance mission, a tough, embittered American sergeant (Sean Penn) involves the four men of his patrol in the kidnapping of a young Vietnamese woman. The impending gang rape and murder of the woman splits the patrol into two factions--those for it, and those against it--with young Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) leading the dissension. But before long, the sergeant has convinced everyone but Eriksson to go along with the plan, making an already difficult mission unbearable for the morally conscious young soldier. Penn gives a powerful performance in this brutal, thoughtful war film from a script by playwright David Rabe (HURLYBURLY). In addition to Penn and Fox, this Brian De Palma movie features early screen roles by John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, and Ving Rhames." |
It's not as well known as The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now or Platoon, but this Vietnam War tale is just as disturbing and probably more provocative since its content is far riskier. Directed by Brian De Palma, it has at its centre the fact-based story of a Vietnamese woman who is kidnapped and brutally raped by four GIs. While battle-scarred Sean Penn leads the assault, new recruit Michael J Fox stands back but doesn't help her. The film's compassion for the woman hits us directly, as does the way De Palma sets up the episode by showing the brutalisation of Penn and his colleagues in the preceding scenes. Filmed with all of De Palma's technical bravura, it heads towards an epilogue that reaches an emotional precipice and then leaps confidently over it.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Simple minded, melodramatic account of a true incident.