"Casualties of War"

Films/DVD Asylum

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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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The Cable Cooker

Topic - "Casualties of War" - rico 09:58:11 08/26/06 (5)

Original article was in the New Yorker. - Harmonia 20:19:53 08/28/06 (0)

It's held up for several viewings for me. The ambush scene on the ridge - tinear 10:24:20 08/26/06 (0)

This is where I started to despise Penn . . . - mr grits 10:22:24 08/26/06 (2)

You know him? Anyhow, who cares? Would you need to love Beethoven? nt - tinear 09:01:44 08/30/06 (0)

Baloney. Myth. - Harmonia 20:14:57 08/28/06 (0)

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