Review of The Killing Fields (1984) by Tana E — 27 Sep 2011

"The Killing Fields" won three Oscars and 23 other awards. Deserving of these honors, the film created a vivid picture of the horrific tragedies that occurred in Cambodia in the 1970's. The plot revolves around an American journalist for the New York Times, Sydney Schanberg, who tries to bring to light the tragic killings that were occurring in Cambodia. Working alongside Schanberg was his close friend Dith Pran, a Cambodian journalist and translator. The movie adapts the historical events of how the Khmer Rouge, the ruling communist party of Cambodia at the time, massacred thousands of people in an attempt at social engineering. While press corps were sanitizing the story, Schanberg and Pran continuously endangered their lives to expose the gruesome reality of what was happening to the innocent people of Cambodia. Eventually Schanberg is able to return to the U.S, while Pran is forced to stay in Cambodia and be of service to the violent Khmer Rouge. Yet after many attempts and failed efforts, Pran survives and escapes the communists' influence, and the story ends with the reunion of Pran and Schanberg.

"The Killing Fields" gives a detailed dramatization of the cruel genocide that occurred in Cambodia. Although the truths of these events were eventually documented, it did not receive the full attention that it deserved. This film appeals to the audience's emotions and further advocates for the awareness of what happened to Cambodia in the years 1975 through 1979. Therefore, I commend the staff that worked so hard to promote the awareness of these occurrences. Considering that Emerson College is a school that is concentrated on "film, theater, journalism, marketing, communication, writing, literature, and publishing," it is very important for students to know about this historical tragedy. This film shows how important forms of communications can be in times of political turmoil and heartbreaking violence. Through forms of media, and other forms of expression, people can help bring to light and possibly shorten the length in time of which events like this occur.