Films/DVD Asylum

"Casualties of War"

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rico

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This 1989 Brian DePalma film is supposedly based on a true incident reported by the "New York Times". It tells the story of a a squad of men in the Viet Nam War who, under the leadership of a veteran sargeant (a malevolent Sean Penn) kidnap a young Vietnamese girl and take her with them on patrol. They then rape her and eventually kill her. One of the squad (Michael J. Fox) refuses to participate and when they return he reports them to a basically uninterested chain of command. Eventually justice is served and all the others receive varying prison sentences. The action is bookended by scenes later after the War where Fox sees a young Asian girl and relives the incident. I found the entire film uneven but thought Penn's performance stunning, particularly the scene where he is shaving with a straight razor.

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Original article was in the New Yorker. - Harmonia 20:19:53 08/28/06 (0)
I remember it well because it was one of the first things I read in the New Yorker and it devastated me.
Several interesting scenes in this film. While not completely successful, it does contain some of DePalma's best work. As tinear mentioned the extended sequence on the ridge & trestle was amazing. I also noted the scene of Penn shaving - great character moment.
And just look at the supporting cast - then unknown John Leguizamo, John C. Reilly...
Fox held his own.
It's held up for several viewings for me. The ambush scene on the ridge - tinear 10:24:20 08/26/06 (0)
is the type in which DePalma excels.
Agree: very uneven. Penn unrelentingly evil. The men who go along with his twisted leadership equally so.
Michael J. surprisingly good.
This is where I started to despise Penn . . . - mr grits 10:22:24 08/26/06 (2)
It was widely reported that he was so into his character he lived with it to the point of attacking Fox several times off set, after hours. He just went too far off the deep end.

Who's aggitat'in my dots?
- You know him? Anyhow, who cares? Would you need to love Beethoven? nt - tinear 09:01:44 08/30/06 (0)
  a
- Baloney. Myth. - Harmonia 20:14:57 08/28/06 (0)
  They didn't interact on set, as Penn stayed in character. Method.
  But after Penn finished shooting his scenes, and before he returned to US, he took Fox to dinner - Fox & DePalma maintain the two had very different ways of working but the realtionship was professional.
  Fox admired Penn and the performance. But the material and his role was so emotionally wrenching for Fox that he decided to return to comedy.

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