The Killing Fields (1985)

hyped garbage

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I didn't know much detail about the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia, the war through the 70-90s and to be honest there's not that much detail here. It's a dramatisation of true accounts and it's much more graphic than I was expecting. It's a film about a war though, it was never going to be pleasant. It's one of those films that always crops up on best of lists though and although those lists are often a bit crap, this certainly isn't. It's exceptionally tense, threat forever imminent in every scene and for all it's brutality, it's astonishingly good... but make no mistake, referring to anything like this as good, feels very alien. The events depicted show humanity at its very worst.

It's alright if you don't know your history before you watch The Killing Fields, Roland Jaffe's film that was nominated for eight Oscars and won eight BAFTAs in 1985; you'll gain a wealth of knowledge from watching the movie. It's a true story, focusing on the experiences and friendship of New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg, played by Sam Waterston, and Cambodian journalist Dith Pran, played by Haing S. Ngor, during the Cambodian Civil War in the 1970s.Beaten out by the incredibly overrated Amadeus, The Killing Fields should have absolutely won Best Picture. Not only is it a spectacular war picture, with surprises around every corner, realistic special effects and makeup, and harrowing struggles that will make you cringe and compel you to keep watching, but it's a beautiful, moving story of love and friendship. The two lead actors have such realistic chemistry together, it's sometimes difficult to separate them from their fictional roles. Haing S. Ngor lived a very sad life, and much of the film mirrors his own life experiences. The horrors he lives through in the film—and in real life, if you choose to look up his tragic backstory, which I don't really recommend—will bring you to tears more times than you'll be able to count.The Killing Fields will take you on an emotional roller-coaster, from fear to awe, horror, hope, sorrow, and inspiration. Some war movies are too upsetting to want to watch over again, but you're able to appreciate the craftsmanship and acting behind it. While the acting and production are fantastic, this is also a film that you can easily add to your home collection, watching it again and again with friends who haven't yet, so you can relive the emotions you felt during your first viewing. I've seen it three times, and each time, it has just as great an impact on my heart as the first. This is a modern classic that shouldn't be missed.

In 1973, New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) goes to cover the war in Cambodia with Dith Pran as his interpreter. They cover the war along side other journalists like Al Rockoff (John Malkovich) and Jon Swain (Julian Sands). A military adviser (Craig T. Nelson) tries to cover up an accidental American B-52 bombing of an innocent town. Eventually the Khmer Rouge threatens to overrun the country. Dith Pran decides to stay despite the danger while his family leaves. After the fall, Phnom Penh is evacuated and the group finds refuge in the French embassy. The foreigners are allowed to go home but Dith Pran and the locals are not so lucky.Director Roland Joffé creates a masterpiece. It is shockingly intense without warning. It is deep emotionally. He captures the desperate instability and the unknowable fear of the fall of the capital. The chaos and the random brutality is perfect. The acting is superb. Developing a picture has never been more intense. Then the movie does the unthinkable. It hands over the lead and the movie to a no name amateur Cambodian actor. The great surprise is that the movie is as compelling as ever. This is a historical biopic masterpiece from start to finish.

The 1970's was a time of tremendous political upheaval in the US. In The Killing Fields, Cambodia is the canvas, while politics, journalism, friendship, and the human will are the paints used to depict an in-your- face, true story of survival against all odds. The US government takes its lumps as we abuse, then abandon a people who are then embroiled in a bloody internal cleansing that kills several million Cambodians. The journalists Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) and local Dith Pran (Dr Ngor) capture and transmit the daily atrocities back to the states for US consumption. Dr Ngor was an actual survivor of the real Killing Fields. How he had he courage to portray Dith Pran, I don't know, but it speaks to the courage he had, and apparently to promises he made to his wife to educate the world about what happened in Cambodia. That Dr Ngor won an Academy Award is astonishing, but after you watch this movie, you really feel like you lived through this horrific event because of Ngor's tremendous performance.Sam Waterston also turned in a strong performance as Shanberg. He realizes he took advantage of Pran as a means to his own ends, but by then, it's too late. Waterston was at his best when he stands toe to toe with Army reps, like Craig T. Nelson (from Coach), or the politicians. But near the end, when he has to take criticism from his own colleague who was with him (terrific performance by John Malkovich by the way), Waterston has no valid reply, and he knows it.The war scenes are incredibly real, the suffering in the killing fields is palpable, and the hopelessness of those trying to stem the entire unimaginable craze of hatred overtaking the Khmer Rouge is smothering.Some scenes are a bit long, and the ending would have been better without that particular song,which introduced a bit too much of a Hollywood ending at just the wrong time. Still, this is a must-see film that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Enjoy.