Directed by Brian De Palma • 1989 • United States
Starring Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey
One of the most harrowing Hollywood films to confront the legacy of the Vietnam War, CASUALTIES OF WAR is based on the true story of a squad of soldiers caught in a moral quagmire. Witness to a vile crime, Private Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) is forced to stand alone against his fellow soldiers and commanding officer Sergeant Meserve (Sean Penn), a powerful and charismatic man pushed over the edge of barbarism by the terror and brutality of combat. With sweeping scope, intense action, and raw power, Brian De Palma creates a devastating and unforgettable tale of one man’s quest for sanity and justice amid the chaos of war.
Up Next in Legacies of War: Vietnam Across the Divides
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Regret to Inform
Directed by Barbara Sonneborn • 1998 • United States
In this powerful and poetic documentary, the legacy of the Vietnam War is explored from a perspective rarely acknowledged: that of the survivors whose lives continue to be impacted by the loss of their loved ones. Twenty years after her husban...
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When the Tenth Month Comes
Directed by Đặng Nhật Minh • 1984 • Vietnam
Starring Lê Vân, Nguyen Hữu Mười, Nguyễn Minh VươngWidely regarded as one of the greatest Vietnamese films ever made, this deeply moving exploration of grief and trauma centers on Duyên (Lê Vân), a young woman whose husband is killed in Vietnam’s post...
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The Fog of War
Directed by Errol Morris • 2003 • United States
Starring Robert S. McNamaraThis Oscar-winning documentary is a twentieth-century fable, the story of an American dreamer who rose from humble origins to the heights of political power. Robert S. McNamara was both witness to and participant in many...