Review of The Killing Fields (1984) by Adrian P — 22 Sep 2011

The Killing Fields, a 1984 British drama, seamlessly captures the horrific violence in Cambodia during the seventies. The film tells the story of American Journalist Sydney Schanberg and Cambodian journalist Dith Pran and their efforts to report the truth of the violence of the Khmer Rouge while fighting to stay alive. As the violence persists, Pran is forced into imprisonment with the Khmer Rouge, while Schanberg is evacuated from the country. Pran becomes a laborer for the Khmer Rouge, He struggles for survival and longs to escape the brutality of the totalitarian regime and be reunited with his family and Schanberg.

The Killing Fields was a poignant film that grabbed my interest from the start. This movie does not shy away from the uncomfortable. It depicts ghastly scenes of violence that are both shocking and edifying. The vivid images throughout the film portray chaos and desperation unlike any other war film I have seen. My emotions were deeply affected by each scene and I was left with a greater understanding of this historical event.

As a marketing student at Emerson College, it is important to note the way the press handled the portrayal of violence in the media throughout this film. In the beginning of the movie, the press corps arrived with the U.S. Army to report a sanitized version of the story. It showed that the mass media is highly censored and displays a manipulation of opinions. It is also important to note the persistence of journalists. As I study the mass media and forms of communication and begin to develop my own marketing strategies, knowing about this historical tragedy becomes relevant.