Hard to call Excellent

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2011)

I've watched this film four times; the most recent being less than an hour ago. It's difficult to say the file is enjoyable because the subject matter is painful and sad. However, it leaves you feeling emotionally spent with moments that, if they don't send you to the brink of tearful sorrow, you must analyze the fabric of your being and whether you have a heart.
Set in the jungles of Viet Nam, the movie follows a squad of men on a long range recon, where they kidnap, rape, and subsequently murder a Vietnamese village girl. It marks Michael J. Fox's best performance but the role of the girl played by Thuy Thu Le, is a performance like none found in any film before or since.
This remains the single most difficult film for me to watch but over the years, I find myself drawn to it again and again because it is so powerfully written and tells a story the likes of which it is difficult to find anywhere else.
...and then there is the music...