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IMDbPro

Casualties of War

  • 19891989
  • RR
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
45K
YOUR RATING
Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
Home Video Trailer from RCA/Columbia
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
88 Photos
ActionCrimeDrama
During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
45K
YOUR RATING
    • Brian De Palma
    • Daniel Lang(book "Casualties of War")
    • David Rabe(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael J. Fox
    • Sean Penn
    • Don Harvey
    • Brian De Palma
    • Daniel Lang(book "Casualties of War")
    • David Rabe(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael J. Fox
    • Sean Penn
    • Don Harvey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 150User reviews
    • 88Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Casualties of War
    Trailer 1:56
    Watch Casualties of War

    Photos88

    Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, and Don Harvey in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, and Thuy Thu Le in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael J. Fox
    Michael J. Fox
    • Eriksson
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • Meserve
    Don Harvey
    Don Harvey
    • Clark
    John C. Reilly
    John C. Reilly
    • Hatcher
    John Leguizamo
    John Leguizamo
    • Diaz
    Thuy Thu Le
    Thuy Thu Le
    • Oanh
    Erik King
    Erik King
    • Brown
    Jack Gwaltney
    Jack Gwaltney
    • Rowan
    Ving Rhames
    Ving Rhames
    • Lt. Reilly
    Dan Martin
    Dan Martin
    • Hawthorne
    Dale Dye
    Dale Dye
    • Capt. Hill
    Steve Larson
    Steve Larson
    • Agent #1
    John Linton
    • Agent #2
    Vyto Ruginis
    Vyto Ruginis
    • Prosecutor
    Al Shannon
    Al Shannon
    • Wilkins
    Wendell Pierce
    Wendell Pierce
    • MacIntire
    Sam Robards
    Sam Robards
    • Chaplain Kirk
    Maris Valainis
    • Streibig
      • Brian De Palma
      • Daniel Lang(book "Casualties of War")
      • David Rabe(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For Michael J. Fox's shots, Sean Penn would be telling him that he was just a little television actor and nothing more, to get genuine reactions for director Brian De Palma.
    • Goofs
      During the firefight on the bridge, after intense firing, one soldier reaches over to pull another soldier to get started down the bridge by grabbing the muzzle of his gun. That act would create severe burns on his palm.
    • Quotes

      Eriksson: Everybody's acting like we can do anything and it don't matter what we do. Maybe we gotta' be extra careful because maybe it matters more than we even know.

    • Alternate versions
      The Extended Cut is 6 minutes longer than the original and contains 2 extra scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Casualties of War/Rude Awakening/Uncle Buck/The Abyss/A Chorus of Disapproval (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Everybody Loves Somebody
      Written by Irving Taylor & Ken Lane

    User reviews150

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Blistering assault on the degrading effects of warfare
    CASUALTIES OF WAR

    Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

    Sound format: 6-track Dolby Stereo

    (35mm and 70mm release prints)

    During a routine field trip at the height of the Vietnam War, a young soldier (Michael J. Fox) rebels against his commanding officer (Sean Penn) and other members of his patrol when they kidnap a defenceless Vietnamese girl (Thuy Thu Le) and subject her to a terrifying physical ordeal.

    Unfairly overshadowed by the simultaneous theatrical release of Oliver Stone's pompous - but still impressive - BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989), Brian DePalma's CASUALTIES OF WAR recreates a harrowing incident from the Vietnam conflict - first reported in 'New Yorker' magazine in 1969 - in which a group of otherwise decent men succumbed to their own worst impulses and committed a terrible crime. Filmed with typical cinematic bravado by master craftsman DePalma, the movie uses every inch of the scope frame to convey both the duality of the landscape (vast swathes of breathtaking countryside, where sudden death lurks around every corner) and the moral vacuum which stretches the two central characters (Fox and Penn) to breaking point. Crafted with blistering simplicity by screenwriter David Rabe (himself a Vietnam veteran and author of the acclaimed stageplay 'Streamers'), the soldiers are depicted as brave individuals whose principles are shattered by their traumatic combat experiences, leaving Fox to essay the role of peacemaker in a world where all the rules have been turned upside down. Thuy - a model with no prior acting experience - is truly heartbreaking as the soldiers' terrified prisoner, and her ultimate fate is so horrific (arguably the most disturbing set-piece of this director's entire career), many viewers will be too appalled to see the film through to its inevitable conclusion. All in all, this uncompromising drama emerges as one of DePalma's strongest films to date.
    helpful•28
    9
    • Libretio
    • May 5, 2005

    FAQ3

    • Who played the Vietnamese girl on the bus?
    • What year does this movie take place?
    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 18, 1989 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Dolores Park, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Art Linson Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 53 minutes
      • Color

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