..more USA meddling...

Rating: 10/10 (8 June 2006)

For some reason, US presidents have the urge to attempt to influence governments in other sovereign nations. This MUST be to add to their legacy and for the history-books.....although their efforts seldom are successful and beneficial.....and are expensive.....and causes another country to dislike us. One would think they'd be content to have conditions in our country - as did Bill Clinton - to be as peaceful and prosperous as possible, FOR our own country. This perhaps may sound like protectionism - so be it. Had "W" minded his own business, we wouldn't be faced with the decades of terrorism we are in for......just as Richard Nixon tried to hide his intervention in backing King Sihanouk in Cambodia.....think of Marlon Brando's role in "Apocalypse Now"......those were Cambodians, folk......before Pol Pot began his genocide. Sihanouk's family is still heavily involved in Cambodia, although they are corrupt and ill-suited to lead. During the 50s and 60s, Sihanouk ruled a peaceful-looking country, but the "pots" were boiling, toward "the Killing Fields". Although Pol Pot was "convicted", he was never imprisoned; he died a natural death in the jungle.......
So little of the USA's involvement in Cambodia is shown in the beginning of the film - a couple of jet-bombers and a few bombs dropped - journalist Schanberg's comment "$200-billion" meant nothing. Americans were exhausted from the fiasco - and so many deaths - in Vietnam, not much is known about the 1.5 millions-of-deaths in Cambodia. They just didn't want to hear it, although TV newscasts presented stories about refuge' camps. Nixon's sneaky intervention - he is shown in the film in a news-report swearing that USA planes would NOT bomb Cambodia, as they did as he spoke - was one of the ingredients that caused him to resign his office, when the Watergate scandal erupted......good riddance.
To demonstrate how ignorant Americans are about Cambodia, many think it was the Vietnam War !! Wake-up "FeinMess", "RBarse" and "OriginalmovieBuff21"......
Many commentaries mention the cinematography is so realistic, the viewer is pulled into the story. Sam Waterson played a magnificent role. Rightly so, everyone was astounded by Haing S. Ngor's natural brilliance in his role. I would rather think he was just calling-up ugly memories from his "re-education" and potent fear from his past life. Imagine having lost your own family in your native country's genocide and taking-on the protection of one of the "re-educator's" children. You can see the grief on his face as he burns the child's clothing - we are left to imagine how he disposed of the child's body. I'd rather not....
I also agree this epic film should be shown to every student in every high-school, history-class - but, how many are there left ? If you're interested in that era of our history, it is all on the 'net. It reminds me of the conflict in Iraq. Will we never learn?....make certain every citizen of Iraq sees this film. Yet, it may only be a situation they know very well.
Because there WERE Oscars awarded, few of the commentators realize "The Killing Fields" is a British release. That's unimportant, in the overall view of the film - the message of this shocking movie is there should be no more of these atrocities - can't we just get along ? Watch this film, it will depressively inspire you to work for freedom.....worldwide.....