This movie requires a greater depth of understanding

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2003)

Very powerful movie with Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn turning in brilliant roles. After seeing Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket and Platoon, I believe Casualties of War has the edge over all of them. While the kidnapping, raping and eventual killing of the vietnamese girl is very disturbing and portrayed as sickeningly wrong, after studying the Vietnam war this particular situation happened more than once during the course of the war. What you may understand after reading what I have read, that the Vietnam war was so emotionally shatterring to American and allied soldiers, being attacked by Vietcong disguised as villagers of whom they were helping, losing friends to booby traps - and basically fighting an enemy they couldn't see, it becomes slightly clearer as to why such horrible events like these occurred. I am definitely not defending the acts of Sean Penn and the other soldiers in this movie and indeed during the course of the war. This movie actually made me feel sorry for Sean Penn's character. This is a man driven by love for his country and hatred of his enemy, that during the course of the war he has lost sense of reality and of what is right and what is wrong. Many people will say that this is "Just a movie", but you must remember events like this DID take place. On an overall perspective a very good movie - my pick as the best vietnam war movie.