Casualties Of War [DVD]

Have got to say this film has got to be one of my fave movies it may not be platoon or black hawk down. But that's a good thing not a bad thing.Though platoon was powerful and loved by myself and same with black hawk down.But this film focuses more on the people portrayed in the film. It evokes sadness as you follow the troubles of Private Eriksson; and the fact it's based on a true story makes it even more powerful. of course we're not quite sure how true it is as Hollywood does take literal liberties with stories.the acting and directing in this film is first class.Michael J Fox Plays Ericsson with such great morality and you can feel what he's going through his portrayal it doesn't feel forced;Sean Penn Who plays Sergeant Meserve who at the start looks like your normal good soldier who cares for his fellow soldiers, but Sean Penn is amazing in this film; the story itself can be hard to watch. thankfully the start of the story is a bit slow. Not to say it drags but it does give you a bit of time to see the relationship of the characters and you get to see both sides of Merserve's character. I would highly recommend this film to anyone.the De Palma as always directs this film with pure class.i just wish they would release this film on Blu-ray would you believe Poison Ivy gets a blu ray release yet this film has yet to be released well in the UK anyway.

I watched this film years ago, and I found it just as gripping and troubling when I watched it again recently. Superbly acted, gritty, and horrendous, there’s nothing whatsoever uplifting about it but it’s compulsive viewing. Don’t miss it, but expect to watch it with your mouth open and your head shaking.

Although the difference between the theatrical cut and the extended version is approximately 6 minutes worth of scenes, I must recommend getting the Extended Cut. The cross-examination of Michael J Fox's character and the skepticism and undercurrents of disgust which he is met with when the investigation into the atrocities is launched add so much to the film, further emphasizing that the codes of loyalty and camaraderie in place amongst the soldiers made exposing injustice an all the more difficult task.The film is excellent. DePalma is more restrained in his tendencies to dazzle with technical prowess. There is, however, an operatic quality to the acting, more noticeable in some scenes; emotions run high, the music swells and the camera presents images (particularly on the bridge) that are painterly, masterful in how dramatic they are. These qualities contribute to the sense of what another reviewer termed as the "morality play" characteristics of the film. This film would be perfection for me if it weren't for a "big speech" convention near the end of the film, the type of speech that is too unambigious in stating the moral position of the film. It is the sort of moment that is easily parodied when looking at "oscar bait" movies made in the present era.The Special Features on the Extended Cut are limited but satisfactory. There is a 15 minute featurette with Michael J Fox looking back on the making of the film. More interesting is the half hour 'Making Of' Documentary. The ammount of superfluous talking heads are kept to a minimum- DePalma speaks at length, and it is always interesting to hear him talk about the process. I only wish he would do Director's Commentary tracks for his films. What interests me about DePalma as a filmmaker is that he is unlikely to do 'puff pieces' to gleefully promote his work. He is up front about his political convictions, whether or not you agree with him, and also he is honest about problems he faces, often being the first person to bring up and address the criticisms directed at him. In both this and the "Dressed to Kill" Blu Ray he acknowledges that his films are criticized (misogyny being the most used term with regards to Dressed to Kill).For purposes of comparison see Elia Kazan's "The Visitors", based on the same article and events as "Casualties of War". Though a much lesser film, DePalma's own "Redacted" does have it's merits, and is in some ways a Casualties of War for the found-footage, multimedia Internet generation.

A war movie that is very realistic, so don't expect some over the top action. It's more story driven. Very surprised to seeMichael J Fox in such a serious movie with Sean Penn. Really good movie but be warned its also disturbing and sad. Good acting by both actors and good story.

supposedly based on real events and individuals which fits into the genre of movies that i prefer.most of all, i am so glad i missed that war, by the skin of my teeth. it started shutting down just as i came of age.silly me, i had wanted to go. in a perfect world, i might have been sent through boot camp without having to go there.

An overlooked film, based on horribly true events. Michael J. Fox goes on a LRRP (long range recon patrol), only to find his sergeant, Sean Penn, has a darker objective behind the routine search and destroy mission. A tragic story of the Vietnam War.

A really good Vietnam film. Marvellous performances throughout. A troop of young soldiers, on patrol in Vietnam go into a small village, kidnap, rape and murder a young girl. Only one of the patrol is sickened and refuses to take part. Harrowing! Though the extended cut I received was region 2, PAL. Highly recommended.

Like some of the other Vietnam films, this one shows the corrupt actions taken by a few of the troops who were sent over there. the language was just as it would have been, having served with AMERICAN TROOPS ELSEWHERE, but not having been in that environment, I can only surmise that these things happened more often that was brought to the civilians in any reports from Vietnam

interesting to learn what goes on out there

Another film on the horrors of the Vietnam war. Well acted, filmed, produced.

Una pelicula clasica muy buena pero el doblaje en español es el de españa y la verdad para los latinos se escucha raro ojala la puedan vender doblada al español latino

Deleted scenes made it great

The quintessential capstone on the 1980s Vietnam War film.Casualties of War is a brutal motion picture with stellar cinematography and exceptional performances.Overlooked by audiences when it came out in ‘89 possibly due to Vietnam film fatigue and an inability to see Michael J. Fox as anything other than a comedic actor, but there are dramatic riches to be found in this production but they are obviously tragic in nature.Simply put, this is a crime story about the kidnapping, gang rape, and murder of an innocent Vietnamese girl by a squad of brutalized, angry, soldiers during the Vietnam War and one man who can’t go along with it but fails to stop it. It is based on a real incident which De Palma had wanted to make into a film for many years.This is not an action movie. Although CoW has several combat scenes. Living with the psychology of the soldiers particularly Fox’s character as they descend into war weary, criminality is the main thrust of the film. It’s how war desensitizes one to others suffering until one finally becomes the perpetuator. The dialog and pacing of the film resembles a play to some extent, which the writer, David Rabe, had written several of before this film. This may be why some folks don’t end up liking the movie as it has melodramatic touches here and there. But in my opinion, it works to the movie’s strengths, especially with the music, because it gives the film that touch of a dreamlike quality, as if events are tragically remembered rather than being felt in real time. Additionally, the acting was superb by all involved especially the Vietnamese girl.I rate this product 4 stars as The Blu-ray has no commentary track and it does not have the extended cut which looks to be a better film based on the deleted scenes. Also De Palma should have staged one of the combat scenes much better than what ended up on screen. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it.Casualties of War is worth your time if you’re looking for a different type of war film.“You Emerge from Tragedy Equipped Against Lies” -Howard Barker