"Go to hell. . .SIR!"

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2014)

CASUALTIES of WAR is one of the very best of the late 80s Vietnam films. Being all about the rape and murder of a young Vietnamese girl by U.S. troops, it's understandable why this film produced much controversy and why there are so many quasi-political reasons for liking/disliking it. CASUALTIES of WAR is "based on" something that actually happened, and I'm sure there are some departures from how exactly it all happened. While the critical aspects are obviously factual, I'm appraising this film simply as a drama and will let others quibble about how true or untrue the specifics are.
Though he comes across as just a little TOO squeaky-clean, Michael J. Fox is decent in the lead role of Private Eriksson. I've noticed a number of criticisms of Sean Penn's portrayal of young charismatic Sergeant Meserve, but I find him to be an utterly convincing and memorable character and think this is one of Penn's very best performances, which is saying a lot. Those who play the other four soldiers in the understrength squad are similarly real, as are many of the supporting cast, particularly Dale Dye as Captain Hill and Ving Rhames as Lieutenant Reilly. Thuy Thu Le's strong performance as the victim is also noteworthy.
Viewed simply as a war film, CASUALTIES of WAR has all the elements that anyone would look for in that genre. Before the pivotal event occurs, there is a lot of gripping combat footage of different types in different locations and situations with all the necessary plot, character development, and sense of place. Fine script too, believably quirky without falling to the stereotypical "soldier-talk" we often encounter in films of this sort. There are also many themes to analyze if you're into it, especially in what this film shows us about the ironies of military "justice." And let's not forget the basic conflict of CASUALTIES of WAR. A crime of this nature can never be justified, of course, but this film does the best that can be done in showing the how and why of it all. Some have objected because they think it makes our troops look bad. It's an unavoidable fact, however, that a number of crimes of this magnitude did in fact occur during the Vietnam War, and they occurred more often than we'd probably like to think. At the same time, I do not think it's ever suggested that all or even most American troops in that war committed acts like the one shown here.
Finally, CASUALTIES of WAR has a darkly beautiful ending.