The Killing Fields

Rating: 6/10 (1 February 2017)

From Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Roland Joffé (The Mission, Captivity), this film features in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I didn't know much about it, apart from one of the cast members, so I just hoped it would be worth the five stars out of five critics give it. Basically in 1973, American journalist Sydney Schanberg (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Sam Waterston) is a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, he has been sent to Cambodia to cover the civil war between the Cambodian national army and communists the Khmer Rouge, a result of the Vietnam War. Schanberg is joined by local representative Dith Pran (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning Haing S. Ngor) as his guide and interpreter, they also meet a number of times with photographer Al Rockoff (John Malkovich), who gives them updates on the latest situations. Over the subsequent years Schanberg and Pran, with Pran's family, become friends, the bond between two men largely due to watching out for each other during potentially deadly situations. Schanberg is able to secure evacuation from the country for Pran's family, when western powers believe an escalation in the war will bring imminent indiscriminate bloodshed. The Khmer Rouge ultimately take over the country in 1975, Schanberg and other members of the western media make it out of the country in April, Schanberg returns to New York, but attempts to evacuate Pran failed, his life is in danger, every western-friendly Cambodian journalist captured has been killed. Schanberg leaves the U.S. begins what becomes a four and a half year campaign to get Pran out of the country, with no knowledge of the atrocities he may have suffered from the Khmer Rouge and/or their North Vietnamese allies, and no knowledge if Pran is still alive. This campaign for Schanberg ends up being a mission out of guilt, he feels largely responsible for Pran's predicament, he receives acclaim during his reporting of the conflict, in the end Schanberg calls Pran's family with the news that he is alive and safe, Schanberg and Pran reunite at the he Red Cross camp, they embrace with a hug. Also starring Julian Sands as Jon Swain, Craig T. Nelson as Military Attaché, Spalding Gray as U.S. Consul, Bill Paterson as Dr. MacEntire, Athol Fugard as Dr. Sundesval, Graham Kennedy as Dougal, Katherine Krapum Chey as Ser Moeum (Pran's Wife), Oliver Pierpaoli as Titony (Pran's Son) and Lambool Dtangpaibool as Phat's Son. Waterston gives a good performance as the journalist filled with both shame and ambition, Malkovich does well in his many moments, but the best performance is indeed newcomer and deserved award winner Ngor, at the time he was a gynaecologist and obstetrician, he is a fantastic embodiment of all emotions of the time, sadly Ngor was murdered in 1996. I didn't know anything about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia myself before this film, I read it was a genocide initiated by Pol Pot, it was also known as Year Zero, the film shows both the humanity and the agony of the time, based on the experiences of the real-life characters, the most gripping moments are obviously those filled with conflict and suffering, all in all I found it an interesting biographical war drama. It won the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, and it was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film for Haing S. Ngor, Best Production Design/Art Direction and Best Sound, and it was nominated for Best Make Up Artist, Best Score for Mike Oldfield and Best Special Visual Effects, and it was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. Good!