Casualties of War
Casualties of War
During the Vietnam war, a girl is taken from her village by five American soldiers. Four of the soldiers rape her, but the fifth refuses. The young girl is killed. The fifth soldier is determined that justice will be done. The film is more about the realities of war, rather than this single event.
Charles London reviewedMay 29, 2025
This is not one of those epic-scale war movies, but rather a look through a tighter scope at a small band of soldiers and a real-life incident. It's a character study of men, hardened by their protracted time at war, losing all humane and ethical capacities. That is except for one, the newbie with a moral compass that still works.
Great performance by Sean Penn. At first I thought Michael J. Fox was miscast, but then he proved me wrong. He was perfect for portraying an idealistic young soldier still hanging on to his innocence.
The horrors of war have been displayed on screen by other movies in no short order. "Casualties", however, is different. The atrocities feel more personal because they're not just about the bullets and blood, but rather more about the detonation of human virtue.