The Killing Fields

1984

2h 22m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

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Drama

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War

New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff. When the U.S. Army pulls out amid escalating violence, Schanberg makes exit arrangements for Pran and his family. Pran, however, tells Schanberg he intends to stay in Cambodia to help cover the unfolding story — a decision he may regret as the Khmer Rouge rebels move in.

Directors

Roland Joffé

Writers

Bruce Robinson(screenplay by)

Stars

Sam Waterston

Haing S. Ngor

John Malkovich

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Videos2

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Photos44

Top cast

Sydney Schanberg

Dith Pran

Al Rockoff

Jon Swain

Military Attaché

U.S. Consul

Dr. MacEntire

Dr. Sundesval

Dougal

Katherine Krapum Chey

Ser Moeum (Pran's Wife)

Oliver Pierpaoli

Titony (Pran's Son)

Edward Entero Chey

Sarun

Tom Bird

U.S. Military Advisor

Monirak Sisowath

Phat (K.R. Leader 2nd Village)

Phat's Son

Ambassador Wade

France

Morgan

Directors

Roland Joffé

Writers

Bruce Robinson(screenplay by)

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7/10

Sam Waterston is New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg on post in Cambodia as the civil war comes to it's violent, cruel conclusion. Working with local journalist Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) they report on the rapidly deteriorating situation. When the American forces evacuate, Pran manages to get his family to safety but he can't leave himself and so Schanberg dedicates himself to the task of extricating his friend from the clutches of the brutal Pol Pot regime in the course of which he discovers just how extensive the "Year Zero" campaign that killed hundreds of thousands of the largely peaceful, agrarian population is. Roland Joffé has never made a better film; the poignancy with which he elicits loyalty and affection from the two principals, whilst at the same time pushing home the true horrors of the behaviour of the new government makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up- even now, 35 years later. The visions of skull strewn paddy fields coupled with a splendidly evocative score from Mike Oldfield really do hit home. The dialogue very much takes second place to that imagery; our eyes and ears do much of their own work with a sensitive, but really quite minimal guide from Bruce Robinson's screenplay. That's not a criticism; it's precisely nuanced to allow the story to breathe and develop in a truly engrossing manner that made me want to follow up. As an aside, having been to Cambodia in 2019, it is astonishing how this nation has healed after such a ghastly period in it's history, and I wonder how much that reconciliation had to do with the depiction in this film of just how horrific war can be.

Geronimo196727 Mar, 2022