Unforgettable personal depiction of 1970's Cambodian horrors

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2006)

It is quite some time since I saw this film, and war movies are not normally my genre of choice. However, I left the theatre deeply moved by the personal story involved and also better informed of the atrocities in Cambodia under Pol Pot during the 1970's, an aspect of modern history of which I was woefully ignorant. As modern movies have brought to the masses the cruelty of the Holocaust, this film emotionally conveys what I suspect is the much lesser known suffering of the Cambodian people, with two million civilian deaths resulting from this civil war.
The film tells the dramatic story of an American journalist, Sydney Shanberg who is covering the civil war in Cambodia along with native interpreter, Dith Pran. Pran saves Shanberg and the other journalists, but must then protect himself from the outrages of the Khmer Rouge. He manages to escape to Thailand and is finally reunited with Shanberg, who has been anxiously searching for him.
The scene that has stayed with me through the years is the dramatic ending, where Shanberg and Pran are reunited. It is their touching friendship that has formed the basis of this movie, and Shanberg has been so desperate to locate his friend. Tears come to my eyes even now as I recall them embracing with such joy at being safely reunited. It seemed as though the tall Shanberg virtually picked up the much shorter, totally endearing Pran, who had suffered so much during the time they were separated. Ever since this movie, I have been a great fan of Sam Waterston, who competently portrays the journalist Shanberg.
Although I was so caught up in the moment I didn't object at the time, I do in retrospect have a few difficulties with the background music chosen for this scene. John Lennon's 'Imagine' has a beautiful tune and though all people of good will desire peace, I oppose its clearly anti-religion lyrics.
Dith Pran was portrayed by first-time actor, Haing S. Knor, a Cambodian gynecologist who had lost his own family due to the Khmer Rouge. This added an extra poignancy in conveying how much his character, Pran, suffered. Sadly, I recently read that Knor, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, was killed senselessly a few years after this movie by a street gang for no reason whatsoever.
This is an unforgettable film, troubling but also both extremely enlightening and moving. It dramatically unfolds this compelling friendship bond while bringing to the forefront the Cambodian horror story, from the perspective of one very appealing Cambodian.