Casualties of War

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Horrorphile - July 2008

Casualties of War

July 22nd 2008 00:20

Vietnam War, 1966. Private Ericksonn (Michael J. Fox) is a “cherry”, signed to Sgt. Merserve (Sean Penn)’s command. Along with Cpl. Clark (Don Harvey), and two other PFC’s; Hatcher (John C. Reilly) and Diaz (John Leguizamo), he becomes part and parcel to Merserve’s rogue war crimes: the abduction, degradation, rape and murder of an innocent Vietnamese village girl Oanh (Thuy Thu Le).

Brian DePalma’s Casualties of War (1989) is based on an article first published in The New Yorker magazine in 1969 detailing a true incident. It’s an appalling account of what soldiers will try and get away with during the chaos of war. It is an isolated incident, but the reality is far more disturbing. The shocking abuse of power is all too prevalent within the military; brutality inflicted by authority happens all the time, but it doesn’t get singled-out very often.

Michael J. Fox as Private Ericksonn

I’m a big fan of director DePalma’s movies. Not every one, but I admire his filmic aesthetics; he’s a purely cinematic director, which attracts criticism for being style over substance. Italian director Dario Argento is criticized for the same reason. Curiously both directors are often compared, unfavourably, to Alfred Hitchcock, which is unfair. Sure they employ similar audio-visual stylistics; prowling camerawork, deliberate symbolism, elaborate set-pieces, strong violence. They’re even criticized, unnecessarily, for being misogynistic.

Sean Penn as Sgt. Meserve

The truth of the matter is, DePalma is one of the few Hollywood directors who utilises the mechanics of cinema storytelling at its most simplest and effective; mood and image, unencumbered by extraneous dialogue, peripheral character distraction or DePalma’s movies have a heightened sense, like that of a dream.

John Leguizamo as Pvt. Diaz

Casualties of War is book-ended by a dream-like set-up. Ericksonn is on a train, drifting in and out of sleep. He sees a young Asian woman seated across from him who bears a striking similarity to a woman he tried in vain to help during his duty in the Vietnam War. From this visual cue the movie then goes into flashback and Ericksonn’s story is told. At movie’s end the story returns to the train and Ericksonn follows the Asian woman off the train confused with a sense of melancholy and compassion. The woman understands Ericksonn has mistaken her identity, and Ericksonn realises too. The woman comforts him by telling him he’d had a bad dream, but the dream is over now.

Casualties of War Thuy Thu Le and Michael J. Fox

Ericksonn tries to free Oanh (Thuy Thu Le)

Casualties of War is not primarily about the atrocity committed by Meserve, Clark, Hatcher and Diaz, but more about the confusion of morality within the context of the all-encompassing Hell’s ethics of war. Meserve is the one who initiates the kidnapping, so he is the ring-leader. But Clark is portrayed as more sociopathic, more dangerous, than Meserve. Hatcher appears to be simple-minded, and therefore easily influenced, while Diaz is painted in the greyest light, as he states emphatically to Ericksonn that he’ll have no part in her rape, yet surrenders to Meserve’s orders to rape her without blinking an eye.

Casualties of War John C. Reilly, Sean Penn, Don Harvey

Pvt. Hatcher (John C. Reilly), Sgt. Meserve, and Cnl. Clark (Don Harvey)

Casaulties of War is not one of DePalma’s best movies, but it’s still very well made; atmospheric and confronting, with excellent performances from several actors early in their distinguished careers. Sean Penn, with thick Brooklyn accent, is commanding as the tobacco-chewing bully. Michael J. Fox is very good as the righteous Ericksoon, although his perpetual deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression of confusion and concern starts to grate a little by movie’s end. A powerful performance comes from Thu hu Le, in her only film, with solid work from a young Leguizamo and Reilly. Other notables are Ving Rhames (who is introduced in the jungle at night, yet his voice is instantly recognisable) plays the Lieutenant whom Ericksonn comes to later with the strict intent of laying charges and Dale Dye, in a small role as the Captain who warns Ericksonn not to pursue the matter.

Casualties of War Dale Dye and Michael J. Fox

Cpt. Hill (Dale Dye) slams Ericksonn's pursuit of justice

Casualities of War is not in the same league of The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Platoon or The Thin Red Line (the Ennio Morricone score is too heavy-handed), but it is still a powerful, compelling, and at times harrowing indictment on the dark side of America at war, all the more topical with the conflict in Iraq. But for the last word on war atrocities and morality go no further than the Russian masterpiece Come and See.

The girl from the train played by Thu Thu Le, but voiced dubbed by Amy Irving

Here's a great scene showcasing Penn's mannered rage, and Fox's righteousness (warning! not work safe):

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

9 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by James Rickard

July 22nd 2008 00:39

unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish

I saw this movie recently for the first time in about 10 years. Sean Penn personified his image with this role!

Comment by Cibbuano

July 22nd 2008 03:08

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

great review - makes me want to watch it... a great cast, too. Definitely want to track this down...

Comment by Bryn

July 22nd 2008 06:17

Horrorphile

James and Cibby, this was back when Sean was still ascending and yet still proving his mettle, and boy, it was something else! I wonder what happened to the actor Don Harvey who played the real nasty mutha Clark? John Leguizamo looks so damn young!

Comment by JohnDoe

July 22nd 2008 07:21

Film & TV on DVD

Great Review Bryn,

I'm a fan of Casualties of War too, the usually paper thin Michael J Fox rose to the occasion but it's definetly the Sean Penn show. Agree it has its faults too as you said but still stands a disturbing slice of humanity.

Interesting that DePalma's new film Redacted tackles a similar real life case where grunts in Iraq pack raped an innocent. Using entirely different coinamtic techniques it should be a good counterpunch to Casualties of War.

Comment by Damo

July 22nd 2008 10:26

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Great film.
Shame that M J Fox was the best that could find for the lead.

Comment by TimmyH

July 22nd 2008 12:15

Can you HACK it?
Genyration

MJF lol I think ill have to see this little flick

Comment by RubySoho

July 22nd 2008 15:26

Music Zone
Thought Zone

I loooove this film. The title says it all the "causalties of war" are not just the rape victim and civilians but the soldiers themselves who lost that part of themselves that made them empathetic human beings. Lose of innocence, loss of dignity, loss of life....beautifully handled and wonderful to see Michael J Fox step out of type.

Thanks for jigging the memory.

Voice dubbed by Amy Irving? Wonder why...

Comment by Bethany

July 22nd 2008 18:38

Martian Movies

Probably because the young lady's accent was too thick to understand what she said- or they thought it was. That's why some of Schwarzenegger's early film work was dubbed. (Early as in he was still going by the name 'Arnold Strong')

Comment by Bryn

July 23rd 2008 02:03

Horrorphile

cheers the comments everyone ...
yeah, the Vietnamese actress's accent would've been too thick and they needed to convey the idead that although the woman at the end looked the same, she was in fact an American.

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