Casualties of War (1989)

A glimpse of lost humanity

My last review was a snazzy/cute little Hollywood war flick. Here's one that definitely doesn't rely on big explosions, an imaginative script, or computer-generated effects.

War produces true heroes, some extremely brave men and women that stand tall for justice. But unfortunately harsh combat can also expose the darker side of humanity. Hollywood took some liberties with this movie of course, but it is sadly based on true events that took place in '66.

In this role, Sean Penn has ice in his veins. He plays the ruthless sergeant that kidnaps an innocent Vietnamese girl and imposes his will upon her. He uses her for his own heinous deeds--a "little portable R&R". His entire squad follows his deplorable lead.

Except for one soldier (Fox) who bravely stands up to his evil commander. Casualties of War is a riveting character study, plus a downright frightening look at man's capabilities. Not a pleasant movie. September 16, 2008

Political Porpaganda

Only gave this two stars because the filming was so good. This is programmed propaganda because in the actual event, the squad was composed of African Americans. This is another case (and I have examples galore!) of Hollowwood turning out a "Propaganda Product" and passing it off as a documentary. Please note how the glowing reviews such as L. S. don't mention this major change in the film, though she says that the "actors are perfect for their roles". Right.

Here is an actual event in history where all parties are known, film and photographs and transcripts are availible, but De Palma and Penn just can't tell it as it happened because it would reflect badly on a minority population in the U.S.A. The race of the perps is an important aspect to the film because it had been less than 25 years earlier that the U.S. Army had been integrated.

Not content with portraying all Vietnam veterans as baby killers and psychos, De Palma works to make sure that any crimes committed in Vietnam are laid on the feet of Mr. White Man. This is like filming "Tora, Tora, Tora" and having whites in Zero's bombing brave Africans on the American Ships; with Denzel Washington playing Admrial Nimitz! Also please note that race of the victim is not changed.
June 10, 2008

Painfully Good

For many years I avoided Viet Nam era war movies. It seemed hollywood was never able to present a reasonable portrayal of the period. This movie never seemed to grope with that problem. I've read reviews of this film that criticize Fox's acting (both his ability and style), trying to say he's no different in this film than in his prior comedy roles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fox delivers a powerful yet believeable performance in Casualties of War. He becomes a seasoned combat soldier while at the same time retaining his humanity. I will also agree with other reviewers who have pointed out that this movie is one that leaves you feeling drained but remains one to keep because it is full of emotional content, superb acting, and a well told tale. March 2, 2008

Casualties

I was a little underwhelmed by our stars performances in say the first half hour. It wasn't really until the entrance of the Vietnamese actress that things started to 'get real' in terms of acting. From the point where she enters, you can feel the tension in the air, and seems to bring the boys to a whole new level. Her acting is fantastic. They couldn't have found better for the part. She was completely beleivable and truly heartbreaking in her unaffected playing out of the role.

I liked Michael J Fox in this a lot too, and I didn't think I would at first. Seeing the ex-Family Ties sit-com star suddenly out in the jungles of Vietnam was testing my powers of forgetfulness (i.e. my ability to forget all the shows I'd already seen him in, mostly comedy). He plays the protagonist in this one. Again, I wasn't really buying it in the beginning, but as the movie continued, so did my appreciation for Michael J Fox. Of course, it's natural that we side with the good guy, and he is 'the hero' in this movie, but besides the fact that we sympathize with his plight, his acting is serious and his presence beleivable. I won't say that all the scenes in this movie are beleivable, especially from a military perspective. It's obviously Hollywood in more than one instance, but it was still great to see Fox's powers bearing down on a dramatic role once the movie really got started.

And once the story got started, there really was no turning away from it, much as you hate to witness what you know is going to go down. When that happens, the intrigue continues with the dilemma of what to do next - ignore it or seek justice?

Sean Penn was ok (was that a Brooklyn accent?) though some of the other supporting actors (John C Reilly in particular) kind of bugged. At least at this point, we've seen their faces in so many different movies, that it becomes difficult to disassociate them from prior, or (as this movie was from '89) later performances and beleive them in this one. Often they seemed to have a kind of self-conscous 'acting-ness' in their acting. In other words, it didn't seem natural. It seemed like Hollywood actors pretending to be soldiers in Vietnam, and I don't know if this was due to their already being established screen personalities, or too much 'acting' on their parts. By contrast, the same could not be said of the Vietnamese girl. And it was probably she (and her acting) that helped bring out better performances from some of the others.

This dvd has worthwhile special features which include 'A Conversation with Michael J Fox' and 'The Making of Casualties of War' which gives us interview time with Brian DePalma. It's nice to be able to hear Fox and DePalma talk about the movie in separate interviews after you watch the movie. February 10, 2008

This movie is a disservice to Vietnam vets.

In 1967 and 1968, I was squad leader in Vietnam in the 25th Infantry Division. This is yet another Hollywood movie that portrays Vietnam combat vets as perverts, and heartless killers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. War is brutal and ugly and the Vietnam War was no exception, but young Americans served honorably in Vietnam as Americans have in other wars. Yes, these things may have happened, but they were the exception and not the rule. It seems that most of the movies I've seen focus on the same negative themes. If you REALLY want to know what the war was like, the only DVD I could fully recommend is "Dear America, Letters Home from Vietnam". This DVD contains actual Vietnam War footage, which is mixed with letters home read by Tom Berenger, Robin Williams, Robert Deniro, Michael J. Fox, Martin Sheen and many others. Please see this video if you really want to begin to understand what combat vets experienced and how they conducted themselves.
October 28, 2007

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