Review of The Killing Fields (1984) by Jill F — 24 Sep 2011
The 1984 movie "The Killings Fields" portrays the journey of journalist and photographer, Sydney Schanberg, from "The New York Times" and his interpreter, Dith Pran, who has come to investigate the devastating conditions in Cambodia around the same time as the Vietnam War. The Khmer Rouge, the guerilla Cambodian army, were involved in a civil war with the National Cambodian Army. An evacuation is ordered for all American embassy inhabitants to leave the country, but Schanberg and Pran decide to stay to continue reporting what is going on. Sometime after, when the Khmer Rouge take over the capital, the two journalists are arrested. Pran is able to talk them out of the execution they had planned for the prisoners, but is then taken captive while his American friend goes free.
Pran is made to labor in at rice plantations and the Khmer Rouge try to brainwash him, and everyone else, into thinking their beliefs. He attempts to escape and in the process, is caught and thrown in prison again. Meanwhile, Schanberg had been trying to find Pran to try and save him from the communist rule. Then, he wins an award from his coverage of Cambodia, but feels guilty about it since, Pran had so much to do with the coverage and he still hadn't been located.
When the prison where he is being held is attacked, Pran manages to escape and find a Red Cross station. Schanberg is alerted of Pran's reappearance and goes get him from the safe house.
This movie was brilliantly made. It was intelligent, respectful toward actual events and very realistic. It brings up a great social point about censorship and journalism in times of war. Before Schanberg went out to Cambodia to write about it for "The New York Times" most people had no idea that any violence was occurring. And, what they did know was what the government chose to tell them. It only has to take a very small number of people to change the world by telling the truth and this film is a great representation of that point.
E. Yumkas.
This review of The Killing Fields (1984) was written by Jill F on 24 Sep 2011.
The Killing Fields has generally received very positive reviews.
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