Powerful Drama But Hard To Watch

Rating: 5/10 (17 December 2007)

It's been over 20 years since I saw this film and parts of it still haunt me.....brutal, emotional scenes which I do NOT want to see ever again. It's just too gut-wrenching and uncomfortable to sit through a second time. Generally, it's two hours of suffering and torture. Who wants to watch that?
It IS a powerful story, though, based on the true life adventures of Dith Pran (played by Haing S. Ngor) who somehow survived the unbelievably-brutal regime of Cambodia dictator Pol Pot. Other reviewers here have detailed the storyline, so there is no sense me rehashing that.
Suffice to say this is a movie that - be warned - is very tough to view in many spots - but will leave you emotionally drained. Ngor's harrowing performance is one to remember, as is the horrible story of what happened in the mid '70s in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. This movie was filmed with Thailand and the scenery there, along with the excellent cinematography, makes this a visual treat.
Some have complained that the film is too slow for them. Others didn't like this because it was overtly anti-American in some regards (the bombing of Cambodia). I can understand those complaints. What bothered me most was that I just found the whole based-on-a-true happening story too sad.