Mountain FogRETROSPECT: THE KILLING FIELDS (1984)
October 23rd 2009 09:00
Sam Waterson and Haing S. Ngor star in The Killing Fields
Stumbling out of Balibo recently, suitably enraged, my movie-going buddy for the night commented on how the film is almost Australia’s very own version of The Killing Fields. It was a cogent comparison, tapping into the themes of integrity and Western geopolitical ignorance that run through both films.
With American intervention in Vietnam and its associated Cambodian incursions now becoming a distant memory, it’s perhaps understandable that The Killing Fields is an almost forgotten classic, consigned to the mouldier parts of the video store. But the war crimes tribunal now taking place in Cambodia gives the film a fresh lease on life, its troubling story reminding the West of a depraved period in human history.
The Killing Fields charts the true story of New York Times correspondent Sidney Schanberg (Sam Waterson) and his relationship with friend and translator Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) during the American evacuation of Phnom Penh and the brutal aftermath when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia.
The first part of the film establishes the close relationship between Schanberg and Pran as they struggle to report on the US involvement in Cambodia. Schanberg is fiercely ambitious while Pran is unstintingly loyal to his friend, even in the face of the New Yorker’s often-unreasonable demands.
As the Cambodian situation deteriorates and the Khmer Rouge surround Phnom Penh, Schanberg makes the decision to stay behind after the American evacuation, dubiously convincing Pran to do the same.
It proves a mistake, Schanberg and his associates underestimating the ferocity of the Khmer Rouge. Pran is eventually captured and interned in one of the ultra Communists’ death camps, while Schanberg is forced to return to New York and rue a fateful decision that has almost certainly cost the life of a dear friend.
It’s terrifying stuff, with screenwriter Bruce Robinson winding up the real events for maximum tension and director Roland Joffé not shying away from showing the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.
There are countless scenes that have the viewer on the edge of their seat: Pran fast-talking his Western friends out of the rebels’ clutches; the desperate efforts of journalists Al Rockoff (John Malkovich) and Jon Swain (Julian Sands) to forge an English passport for Pran; and Pran secretly sucking the blood of the collective farm’s cows in an effort to keep up his strength. It’s nail-chewing stuff, and equal to even the most delirious Hollywood thriller.
Just as startling, however, are the moments Joffé chooses to dwell upon: the Khmer Rouge’s mass evacuation of Phnom Penh, or Pran, mid-escape, finding himself in the middle of a killing field surrounded by the discarded carcasses of his countrymen and women.
But as well-structured as all these scenes are, it’s the characters and their relationships that bind The Killing Fields together so tightly. There’s a genuine affection between Schanberg and Pran, and it makes their forced separation hard to watch. Likewise, the other journalists come to care for the Cambodian, particularly Rockoff and Swain, and when they band together to try and save their friend you can’t help but go right along with them.
The filmmakers weren’t afraid to delve into some potent subtext either. There was obviously no question in their minds that the US was indirectly responsible for the human rights violations that would later take place in Cambodia, and this geopolitical take on responsibility is mirrored by Schanberg’s guilt regarding the ultimate fate of Pran.
Things turn very bad for Haing S. Ngor's Pran in The Killing Fields
Performances are excellent throughout. Haing S. Ngor wasn’t a trained actor, but had lived through the terror of ultra Communist Cambodia and in the film he possesses a remarkable degree of nuance, whilst Sam Waterson lends a fine intensity to the role of Schanberg. Stealing many of the early sequences, however, is John Malkovich as Rockoff: the yet to become famous actor initially personifies the disassociated attitude of American government, before becoming feverishly involved in the plight of Pran later in the film.
Indeed, little about The Killing Fields seems dated or redundant. Its compositions are perhaps a touch flat at times, and Mike Oldfield’s synthesised score can be intrusive, but the natural drama unfolding onscreen tends to push these quibbles to the side.
A remarkable piece of work in any era, The Killing Fields is especially potent in the present day as the war crimes tribunal unfolds in Cambodia. It remains a stark reminder of an often forgotten modern human rights tragedy.
Check out the trailer below:
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Great Review.
The killing Fields is so incredibly powerful and real as you wacth it that it can easily be called unforgettable.
Quality film-making all round and a very believable cast.
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight