Casualties of War

One of Michael J. Fox’s dramatic roles ever! This was a very dark, but this was a very interesting movie, especially for the fact that this was based on a true story. It had a surprising plot, the action was intense, everything was perfect about this film! I love it so much.

Great movie to watch.

Great Vietnam movie!

This movie was compelling for me because I could imagine myself in the place of MJFox's character and suffering through this immense predicament. Rooting for him was like rooting for myself. Not saying I would have been as heroic, but I would hope that this movie inspires all who watch to take up the good fight in all the situations in life where we are called to fight evil. And if you believe altruism is for suckers, then you are evil.

The quintessential capstone on the 1980s Vietnam War film.Casualties of War is a brutal motion picture with stellar cinematography and exceptional performances.Overlooked by audiences when it came out in ‘89 possibly due to Vietnam film fatigue and an inability to see Michael J. Fox as anything other than a comedic actor, but there are dramatic riches to be found in this production but they are obviously tragic in nature.Simply put, this is a crime story about the kidnapping, gang rape, and murder of an innocent Vietnamese girl by a squad of brutalized, angry, soldiers during the Vietnam War and one man who can’t go along with it but fails to stop it. It is based on a real incident which De Palma had wanted to make into a film for many years.This is not an action movie. Although CoW has several combat scenes. Living with the psychology of the soldiers particularly Fox’s character as they descend into war weary, criminality is the main thrust of the film. It’s how war desensitizes one to others suffering until one finally becomes the perpetuator. The dialog and pacing of the film resembles a play to some extent, which the writer, David Rabe, had written several of before this film. This may be why some folks don’t end up liking the movie as it has melodramatic touches here and there. But in my opinion, it works to the movie’s strengths, especially with the music, because it gives the film that touch of a dreamlike quality, as if events are tragically remembered rather than being felt in real time. Additionally, the acting was superb by all involved especially the Vietnamese girl.I rate this product 4 stars as The Blu-ray has no commentary track and it does not have the extended cut which looks to be a better film based on the deleted scenes. Also De Palma should have staged one of the combat scenes much better than what ended up on screen. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it.Casualties of War is worth your time if you’re looking for a different type of war film.“You Emerge from Tragedy Equipped Against Lies” -Howard Barker

It is a harrowing plot and this is not really a war movie, per se. It does deal with issues that come up in a war and how each individual acts with subjected to the peer pressure and the pack mentality. Of course, Sean Penn and Michael J Fox are great, that's why their names are so recognizable. In this movie, Sean Penn has the stage to himself, for all practical purposes. As the borderline psychotic Squad Sergeant, he turns in a performance that will scare the stink out of you. Not that there is anything "Boo!" scary about the character, it's his whole presence that dominates everyone around him. Michael J Fox's performance starts out rather mechanical and "Called in!". He really doesn't begin to do any real acting until the hooch scenes where the horrors of the movies occur. At that point, Fox seems to get into his character's psyche and begin turning in the performance he is capable of. From there until the end, Penn and Fox are the two Alpha males searching to test the other and make the other back down. A first rate movie that should have had more honors bestowed upon it than it did.Any good Vietnam memorabilia collection is incomplete without this film, in my opinion. I am very glad I stumbled on to it and I think you will be too.

The movie itself is a must-see. The blu-ray release that came out in August 2018 provides a decent picture quality - certainly an upgrade from the DVD version. It is presented in 1080p HD/ 2.4:01; Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; Subtitles: English SDH .Special Features include: "Eriksson's War: A Conversation with Michael J. Fox"; The Making of Casualties of War; Deleted Scenes & Theatrical Trailer.The disc has no artwork, unlike the DVD disc that I have. The artwork on the blu-ray cover insert is somewhat mediocre, as if printed on a lower quality printer. This movie is a classic and although the picture quality is fine, the absence of artwork on the disc and the lower quality of the artwork of the cover insert are a mild disappointment - these should reflect the nature of the film which has been described as a "masterpiece".

I was disappointed with this movie when It was released, and I didn't enjoy it any more in 2020.The story is straight-forward and so is the direction. There is no "DePalma" magic evident in this film. And if you already know the story, there's nothing about watching this movie that adds any insight or makes it more interesting.Yes, Sean Penn has a few good moments, including the iconic scene where he grabs his d____ and proclaims "THIS, is a weapon!" MJ Fox's character is just too white-bread goodie two shoes to be interesting. None of the soldiers have any back-story; perhaps this is why there's so little "psychology" in the movie.The Blu-Ray was excellent on my 80" projector, and the extra features are ample. But at $22.99 it's a terrible deal for an older movie. I regret the purchase.

Histoire vrai sur la guerre .

Have got to say this film has got to be one of my fave movies it may not be platoon or black hawk down. But that's a good thing not a bad thing.Though platoon was powerful and loved by myself and same with black hawk down.But this film focuses more on the people portrayed in the film. It evokes sadness as you follow the troubles of Private Eriksson; and the fact it's based on a true story makes it even more powerful. of course we're not quite sure how true it is as Hollywood does take literal liberties with stories.the acting and directing in this film is first class.Michael J Fox Plays Ericsson with such great morality and you can feel what he's going through his portrayal it doesn't feel forced;Sean Penn Who plays Sergeant Meserve who at the start looks like your normal good soldier who cares for his fellow soldiers, but Sean Penn is amazing in this film; the story itself can be hard to watch. thankfully the start of the story is a bit slow. Not to say it drags but it does give you a bit of time to see the relationship of the characters and you get to see both sides of Merserve's character. I would highly recommend this film to anyone.the De Palma as always directs this film with pure class.i just wish they would release this film on Blu-ray would you believe Poison Ivy gets a blu ray release yet this film has yet to be released well in the UK anyway.

Deleted scenes made it great

Una pelicula clasica muy buena pero el doblaje en español es el de españa y la verdad para los latinos se escucha raro ojala la puedan vender doblada al español latino

Another film on the horrors of the Vietnam war. Well acted, filmed, produced.