The Killing Fields

Rating: 6/10 (23 October 2010)

"The Killing Fields" is a film that is one of those unlucky ones, based on a premise so strong, but sadly, made in an era that churned out mediocre fare, perhaps! Set against the backdrop of the war-infested Cambodia, where Khmer Rouge had taken charge during the mid-70s, this is a story of those brave-heart journalists who made it back alive! And honestly, that is the only story this film tells! Khmer Rouge is merely a 'backdrop' as mentioned earlier in this paragraph and that is the very fact about this film that lets it down.
This is a film that begins on a chaotic note and continues it further, and hence, for the viewer, the tension never really develops...it is already there, at the outset! The story centers around two of the main characters, Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) and Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) who are trying to cover the war situation in Cambodia in 1973. Things turn uglier soon enough when an American B-52 bombs the town of Neak Leung by mistake! Two years later, the Khmer Rouge seem to be taking over, and evacuation begins. Some Cambodian locals who have sought refuge in the French Embassy in Cambodia are forcibly trapped in the whole drama, including Dith Pran, who is there to assist Schanberg.
The rest of the story focuses on how Schanberg is feeling guilty about letting Pran stay on with him and how Pran attempts to survive amidst the Killing Fields created by the Rouge.
What this film doesn't quite clarify are the intentions of the Khmer Rouge itself on which the whole films seems to build its premise. The actions and the very reason of the existence of the Khmer Rouge isn't clear enough, neither is the actual situation in Cambodia. There is chaos throughout the film, so there isn't really any clear explanation given for the whys and the hows and the whats in this supposedly powerful drama.
Sure, there are a lot of gut-wrenching scenes in this war-fest, but since we who are newly being introduced to the Khmer Rouge history aren't really told the inside story, it is difficult to relate to any of those who are mercilessly disposed of! So at this point, I would recommend the viewer to thoroughly study the Khmer Rouge story, in order to follow this film more closely! Good performances from the two lead actors Sam Waterston and Haing S. Ngor and a fine supporting act in an early role by John Malkovich, but that is just not enough to save this film based on a strong true story.
"The Killing Fields" is a film begging for a remake, with hopefully a more focused script.