Everyone once in awhile... a masterpiece is made. This is one.

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2007)

Acting - Ngor is excellent. He is very believable as a Cambodian refugee, and seems to play this role to perfection. His interactions with Waterston seems to genuinely reflect the overall anxiety shared by millions of displaced Cambodains of the Khmer Rouge era. Even more impressive is the fact he pulled this off without having formal training in acting.
-Waterston is also very good as Ngor's emotionally tortured friend. Ngor overshadows him in this respect, but Waterston shines in his own way - especially when those around him question his conviction.
-Malkovich and Julian Sands have small roles, but they're important nevertheless because of their dedication to their occupation and Ngor.
Picture/Cinematography
Picturesque Thai vistas? Bombed out temples? Rampaging tank down city streets? Rice paddies? This movie did a great job of capturing the essence of Cambodia and the war itself.
Plot Some historical inaccuracies but a fairly good representation of the carnage that occurred in Cambodia.
Music I bought the soundtrack to this movie. People looking for a reason to hate complain about the Imagine theme, but hell the rest of the movie is so great who cares about the ending music? Oldfield's catchy tinny music doesn't dominate the action (save the end) and seems to rather fit in nicely with the action.
Overall It's emotionally gut wrenching. The first time I saw this movie I wished it would never end - great movies have that effect on you. This movie will demand the viewer not turn a blind eye to holocaust. I connected with plight of all of the characters and wanted to learn everything I could about the genocide (my school had an exhibit for S-21 - really cool).
It's like watching a translation of Anne Frank's famous quote that she believes people are genuinely good at heart - this movie portrays both sides almost perfectly and with unflinching determination.
The Killing Fields is an original, gripping, and well-executed documentary of the Cambodian genocide. This would make it a very good movie. What makes this my favorite movie is the mutual responsibility and unswerving commitment Pran and Schanberg have for each other. Hotel Rwanda and Saving Private Ryan hardly stack up to this film. Watch it and bring out the Kleenex (and perhaps wikipedia :)