The equation of sanctioned and unsanctioned barbarism in the climactic moments of Casualties is about as damning an indictment of the way that humanity justifies immoral acts during war as I've seen.
Casualties of War (1989)
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:24
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.2/10
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: A young soldier arrives in Vietnam and is assigned to a unit of men who have been in the jungle for many months. Their sergeant has only one more mission to complete before he can go home, and... A young soldier arrives in Vietnam and is assigned to a unit of men who have been in the jungle for many months. Their sergeant has only one more mission to complete before he can go home, and though he has been a successful soldier, he has lost his will to fight or to care for his troop. When soldiers on duty prevent the sergeant from going to a nearby town to visit a prostitute on the night before his last mission, the enraged sergeant tells his unit that he will seek revenge. He concocts a plan where his troop will accompany him to the village, kidnap a woman and force her to come with them on the mission in order to furnish the group sexually. The newest soldier in the troop does not want to go along with the plan, but the sergeant's charisma convinces the rest of the men. When they eventually reach the village, the young man again protests, which fuels the sergeant's rage, and prompts him to initiate a brutal gang rape and murder of a young village woman. The film then moves to events after the troop's return from Vietnam, where the young soldier has decided to have his unit court martialled. [More]
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames, John C. Reilly, Don Harvey, Dale Dye, Jack Gwaltney, Thuy Thy Le
Director: Brian De Palma
Director: Brian De Palma
Screenwriter: David Rabe
Composer: Ennio Morricone
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Reviews for Casualties of War
An underrated film with perhaps the greatest performance that Michael J. Fox ever gave. DePalma looks at Vietnam through a different persepective than an audience is used to, making this far from your typical war movie. Penn, as always, is riveting to wat
Based on a true incident during Vietnam War, the film testifies to our hopes that there are a few ethical souls who believe the weak must be protected.
Latest News for Casualties of War
November 15, 2007:
Brian De Palma on Redacted: The RT Interview
Brian De Palma fans beware: his most recent film will make you think that the veteran director has -- to borrow a line from "Full Metal Jacket" -- been "born again hard." More...
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