Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Casualties of War

  • 1989
  • R
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
50K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,473
76
Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
Home Video Trailer from RCA/Columbia
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
98 Photos
Psychological DramaTragedyActionCrimeDramaWar

During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.

  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Daniel Lang
    • David Rabe
  • Stars
    • Michael J. Fox
    • Sean Penn
    • Don Harvey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    50K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,473
    76
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Daniel Lang
      • David Rabe
    • Stars
      • Michael J. Fox
      • Sean Penn
      • Don Harvey
    • 165User reviews
    • 91Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Casualties of War
    Trailer 1:56
    Casualties of War

    Photos98

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 91
    View Poster

    Top cast48

    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
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Daniel Lang
      • David Rabe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Raising Cain
    6.1
    Raising Cain
    Snake Eyes
    6.1
    Snake Eyes
    Body Double
    6.8
    Body Double
    The Fury
    6.3
    The Fury
    The Bonfire of the Vanities
    5.6
    The Bonfire of the Vanities
    The Hard Way
    6.4
    The Hard Way
    Obsession
    6.7
    Obsession
    Dressed to Kill
    7.1
    Dressed to Kill
    Femme Fatale
    6.2
    Femme Fatale
    Hamburger Hill
    6.7
    Hamburger Hill
    Born on the Fourth of July
    7.2
    Born on the Fourth of July
    Redacted
    6.1
    Redacted

    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.

    • Crazy credits
      A mid-credits update is presented on Hatcher, explaining that his conviction was overturned.
    • Alternate versions
      The Extended Cut is 6 minutes longer than the original and contains 2 extra scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: 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 reviews165

    Featured review
    8/10

    There's hard hitting, and then there's Casualties of War

    CASUALTIES OF WAR tells the excruciating true story of a squad of American soldiers during the Vietnam War, who kidnap and rape a young Vietnamese girl in the name of fun. The story is told through the youthful and innocent eyes of Michael J. Fox, in a rare dramatic performance that may be his career-best.

    Films like this can hardly be enjoyed, but CASUALTIES OF WAR proves to be unmissable entertainment and one of the harshest war stories out there; also, one of the best. It's a bit like watching a film of a train wreck, where you can't tear yourself away from what's happening and what you know is going to happen. The tragic, soul-searing story is one of the most moving I've ever seen.

    A film like this needs a great director to tell it, and de Palma is that director. He wisely lets the story tell itself for the most part, but he can't resist incorporating a couple of flourishes (like the POV sequence) that remind us of his skill as an auteur. The cast is great, too, particularly the newbie actors (John C. Reilly and John Leguizano) playing soldiers and Sean Penn as the hateful sergeant. Understandably, Thuy Thu Le has the toughest role, and it's one she walks away from with her head held high; if ever an actress deserved an Oscar nod, it's her.
    • Leofwine_draca
    • May 6, 2013
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ22

    • How long is Casualties of War?Powered by Alexa
    • 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)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Pecados de Guerra
    • Filming locations
      • Dolores Park, San Francisco, California, USA(where Eriksson gets off the train at the end)
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Art Linson Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,671,317
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,201,261
      • Aug 20, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,671,317
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for Casualties of War (1989)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.