The Killing Fields (1984)
Genre: War / Drama
Duration: 141 minuten
Alternative title: Velden des Doods
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by: Roland Joffé
Stars: Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor and John Malkovich
IMDb score:
7,8 (63.797)
Releasedate: 23 November 1984
The Killing Fields plot
"Here, only the silent survive."
Roland Joffé's drama tells the true story of the friendship between New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) and Cambodian journalist and interpreter Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor), in civil war-torn Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge takes power, Sydney is forced to leave the country and Dith Pran is jailed. Both men continue to fight to see each other again in the flesh.
Actors and actresses
Sydney Schanberg
Dith Pran
Major Reeves, Military Attache
Alan 'Al' Rockoff, Photographer
Dr. Sundesval
Jon Swain
United States consul
Dr. MacEntire
Dougal
Ser Moeum: Dith Pran's wife
Reviews & comments
Leland Palmer
-
- 23798 messages
- 4933 votes
Shame about this movie. Expected a lot, but the end result was quite disappointing. It starts with Sam Waterston, who is really not convincing for a moment. And that's a shame, because his character is just a foundation for the film, which can ensure that everything is taken to a higher level. Badly cast as far as I'm concerned. John Malkovich makes up for that every now and then, but it's all too little.
For the rest I found the story to be messy and not convincing at all. The emotional scenes were very weak and many of the characters' actions were just not logical or unbelievable. Ngor doesn't play well either and actually all other Camodian colleagues aren't doing too well. The first hour is the least, after that we can enjoy some more beautiful areas and the end was also reasonably successful. From this high average here I expected much more. It's not really bad, but it's pretty bad.
Translated from Dutch · View original
sumitta
-
- 83 messages
- 1057 votes
Despite the large budget, a film that drops a few stitches here and there, for example in its choice of music. Striking are the beautiful sets and locations (film was shot in Thailand) and the starring role for Haing S. Ngor, who also survived the labor camps as a denial intellectual prisoner. Also a good supporting role from John Malkovich. Many reviewers here talk about a rudderless, chaotic film (especially the first hour), I had prepared myself for this but found it not too bad, I found the film rather straight forward, realistic and exciting.
Five years ago I volunteered for several months in rural Cambodia. Dire poverty, great madness and ignorance and above all a deep-rooted collective trauma can be felt (certainly in the countryside). A visit to the former Tuol Sleng torture prison in Phnom Penh and the Choeng Ek concentration camp just outside the city leave an indelible impression, as does the startling yet heartwarming book. from Chanrithy Him. The relative mildness with which the course of events in the camps is portrayed in this film, on the other hand, does not leave such an indelible impression. I think that's the biggest flaw of the film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Boneka
-
- 2786 messages
- 1407 votes
This film had been on my wish list for a long time, but the blu-ray release no longer had Dutch subtitles for sale and a different rendering was not nearly as good as the Warner Bross had released. So I chose the Studio version with unfortunately English subs. But it's doable with the English subtitles. Also the picture is not nearly as bad as I read. Sometimes very nice, sometimes not so much. Little bit of noise, not disturbing and some white spots. Often not, sometimes suddenly. Sound is okay. Then the movie!
The Cambodia war has never been so familiar to me. At that time I was still quite young. So yes, then you don't follow all that. Of course the Vietnam War was better known, but also the Khmer Rouge. Clearly recognizable by the red scarves. The first hour is a bit chaotic, as I also know from the films Salvador and Balibo. But the second long hour of the film really grabs your attention. Especially with that jungle trek from Pran. But also because of all the hardships and suffering, with the Killing Fields brrr as the high-low point. ice cream! Got a weird feeling in my body. That people can do something like that to each other is unbelievable how cruel wars can be.
The story that fits nicely with reality also gets more and more exciting towards the end. Excellently played by all the actors. Great soundtracks with ao Mike Oldfield despite the end of John Lennon. Wouldn't have worked for me either. Furthermore, the music is okay and the images are excellently made in beautiful landscape views. Unfortunately, both journalists are no longer with us
Movie 4.0
Image 3.5
Sound 3.5
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