Directed By: Brian DePalma
Written By: David Rabe
Based On The Book By: Daniel Lang
Cinematography By: Stephen H. Burhum
Editor: Bill Pankow
Music By: Ennio Morricone
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, Don Harvey, Ving Rhames, Dale Dye, Thuy Thu Le, Wendell Pierce, Sam Robards, Darren E. Burrows, John Marshal Jones, Holt McCallany
During the Vietnam war, a girl is taken from her village by five American soldiers. Four of the soldiers rape her, but the fifth refuses. The young girl is killed. The fifth soldier is determined that justice will be done. The film is more about the realities of war, rather than this single event.
The film grabs you from the beginning. As we go through a prologue of Michael J. Fox at home on a train he flashes back to his time in Vietnam. Which automatically starts on the battlefield in the middle of a firefight and he falls into one of he hidden tunnels of the enemy and can't get out as the enemy races to slaughtering him he is pulled to safety. --Watching this opening opened me up to a detail of war I was never taught in school. About booby traps and different ways of warfare.
The performances in this film are strong, but none other than by Sean Penn. who is believable even though at first and at other times seems to walk the line of caricature with his characters accent. Though you believe his characters strength as even though he is young he has talent and skills as a soldier and is charismatic enough to be a leader. Using it to easily influence his squad who look up to him. Who he convinces to do heinous acts and believe they are justified some more willing than others as we can see some can easily be bullied and want to just fit in, others are just as sadistic and just seem eager for permission. Others are so simple they don't even see or notice what they are doing is wrong.
We even see partially what might have pushed his character to this. As war is hell and already slowly affecting the mindset of all the soldiers, but what seems to set his character off. Is the incident that seems more personal to him of one of his friends getting killed. That seems to be where the last of his humanity has been scraped away. As after that his character seems hellbent on taking most of his anger out on some random farm girl. Who he seems to make the model of all that he hates.
We see it coming but is still jarring as the film opens with him saving the life of Michael J. Fox's character. Which makes fox's character seem to feel a certain debt to him and throughout the film while angry and hating him for what they are doing. There still seems to be sort of him that wants to convince or somehow save Penn's character humanity or at least wake him up to what he is doing. Though doesn't seem to see what we in the audience already do. There is none there.
What works is that supposedly Sean Penn and Michael J. fox did not get along during the making of this film. With Sean Penn never really respecting him as a dramatic actor and even going as so far as to whisper TV actor to him in scenes just to make him mad and get that general look of hate to loom so real.
While I am a fan of Michael J. fox. He does feel miscast in the role. It is easy to see why he was cast as he was a box office draw at the time and wanted to stretch into more dramatic roles such as this BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY and LIGHT OF DAY. As even though he was a box office star and had a hot tv show he was known more for doing light hearted comedy. Which one can understand why he wanted the role and why he as cast as not only does he draw an audience that might have not Malloy skipped this movie. He also comes with baggage as we all know him as heroic and good hearted. Which makes him obviously the hero the voice of reason throughout the film. Though it might have backfired for him as well. As his regular audience you going into this film would be shocked and driven away by such dark subject matter. Not to mention while he is the hero. He also sits back and watches through most of the film a witness while not being a perpetrator he is an accessory of sorts. A forced one but still one and while he seeks justice he never really gets any revenge. None are truly made to suffer the way the audience wishes. Then again it is based on a true story and can only go but so far as to the fates of the characters.
Though Mr. fox doesn't embarrass himself and fulfills what the role requires. You can feel he is out of his depth. Though it works in setting him up as a fresh outsider and all the other characters as more jaded and deep as they have been around longer and are used to the carnage to a degree and relish it.
The film makes it hard for the characters to be seen as three dimensional. As most we come into contact with we soon learn to hate. Even as the film does give them more dimension than most do. Though the film still tries to be psychological, but also like most war films leaves some behavior to the lunacy of the war and the unpredictable situations the soldiers constantly find themselves in.
I remember this coming. Out when I was 11 years old and really wanting to see it in theaters. Only because I was a huge Michael J. Fox fan and also I knew who Sean Penn was. More through FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH and his bad boy reputation of being married to Madonna. So even in the advertisements it was clear who was supposed to be the hero and who was the villain. Unfortunately o never saw it in the theater still haven't to this day. I finally saw it on how. Video when I was 14 and it's a film I revisit every couple of years. As it is a film that is hard to sit through because of the subject matter, but over the years my opinion has changed or been turned around on it. As I get older I respect the film and it's filmmaking. Even if I still believe it has it's problems.
Sean Penn has had an interesting career. While he has many landmark and celebrated performances under his belt. It was obvious from when he started he had the skill and the talent. The problem was that it seemed there weren't As many opportunities for him, As a young actor to have too many classic performances. As there seems to be offered to young actors today. I mean he only really had a few high school movies and only one was a comedy FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. the other two was a teen prison drama BAD BOYS that was pretty graphic and straight forward. The other was TAPS more a teenage siege thriller. Though luckily for him he was able to make his mark in projects like FALCON & THE SNOWMAN, AT CLOSE RANGE and the previous films mentioned. Luckily he obviously got more grinned roles for himself that allow to show his range as he get's older. So this one was another one of the rarities
The film is isn't as grand as it would expect in a war film and a Brian De Palma film. This is not one of his more visually impressive films. It covers a lot of ground but manages to keep the suspense tight and give the film a constant feel of claustrophobia no matter where they go. As they are always around one another impossible to hide from when they also have to hide for. The enemy threat are at war with. Only now it is also amongst each other. The film always stays captivating.
Even though not as clear and planned De Palma still a manages to bring suspense to certain scenes. Which also leave the movie with a slow dread hanging over it as we continuously are forced to see and hear the torture and rape as well as the screams that are inflicted on their hostage an innocent farm girl. What really drives the tension is that we are never quite are sure what they will do or how they will do or go at her. Not to mention if they will be attacked or have to defend themselves along the way against other enemies other then each other. At first we are never even quite sure how far the soldiers will go or if some will be like fox and refuse.
The film shows so much violence and atrocities. That it is hard to focus on separate things and scenes. As we constantly have a soundtrack of whimpering, crying, and screams as the film tries to keep a discipline no matter how brutal the acts go.
It is torture we must sit through as we, like foxes character not only obviously oppose what is Happening but can barely do anything as he depends on them for safety and it's so easy for them to dispose of him and make it look like an accident or the enemy got him. So the film is torturous itself. As we are along with him witnessing and hearing and which can easily be seen as just as guilty to a degree. Under these circumstances are different so while he blames himself we get an epilogue meant to show him some kind of forgiveness. Even though he will be haunted by it.
So the film does put us through the ringer of sorts. To drive home the horrors of this crime and situation.
I have to give it to Brian De Palma who is a pro at going in head first into chaos and managing to showcase the lunacy but also manages to bring order and majestic camerawork. Here this seems more experimental and outside of his comfort zone as he seems like he was. Ore at the mercy of the elements and weather with this film. As it feels claustrophobic and a little disjointed it he still manages to keep it all in a certain order.
This film as always when. It comes to De Palma would be labeled misogynistic as once again it showcases over the top victimization of a female character. Even as this is based on a true story.
It can also be seen as why in his films women are usually he victims as I. Horror film Los as well. Because we are taught that women are supposed to be these gentile fragile figures. Who are supposed to be protected and/or saved. So that when we witness death or violence happen to them it is shocking and causes much more of a reaction the. When it happens to make it also tends to make an audience emotional usually anger. It is a technique he has used before and more extreme. Usually if a man is killed it is expected especially if we don't know him. It might come as a shock but we Don't feel anything (like red shirted crew members in STAR TREK the tv show)
Like the little girl who unknowingly delivers a bomb and is caught in the explosion in the movie THE UNTOUCHABLES.
The film also showcases early performances by John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo and Ving Rhames.
If the atmosphere of carnage and war didn't have you on the edge of your seat alread there is this travesty that really has nothing to do with war and helps paint a target on the one who resists back as he really has no back up and tries to survive and defend the girl and show her some humanity when he can.
So it's all these layers all set up that we are diff g into and unraveling
It's a challenging film In The fact that it's hard to watch. Based on a true story. So that we must witness it. But show how easily men can be influenced and lead astray but also to show us there are some who know what's right and will still stick up for it.
This is definitely a hard film to sit through and is challenging. Though it is an important film and worth watching. Even if it doesn't seem like De Palma's grand vision was achieved.
GRADE: B
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