The Killing Fields
1984

British Quad
Condition: Folded

Genre: Drama / History / War

Directed by: Roland Joffé
Writing credits: Bruce Robinson (screenplay)

An American citizen is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot's bloody "Year Zero" ethnic cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million "undesirable" civilians.
Sydney Schanberg is a New York Times journalist convering the civil war in Cambodia. Together with local representative Dith Pran, they cover some of the tragedy and madness of the war. When the Americans forces leave, Dith Pran sends his family with them, but stays behind himself to help Schanberg cover the event. As an American, Schanberg won't have any trouble leaving the country, but the situation is different for Pran; he's a local, and the Khmer Rouge are moving in.

Trivia:
The Coke factory in the movie was originally supposed to be a Pepsi factory, but Pepsi declined to be featured in the movie.
At the Oscar's, when Haing S. Ngor won the Oscar for best supporting actor (the first Southeast Asian and the first Buddhist to win an Academy Award in an acting role), he walked onto the stage with his 15-year-old niece. Upon walking up to the stage, John Malkovich jokingly shouted something in Cambodian to him which shocked his niece and made Haing Ngor laugh. He shouted, "The award's mine, asshole!" In Haing Ngor's autobiography, he describes John Malkovich's keen interest in learning Cambodian swear words.

Goofs: Continuity: When Sydney is talking to Dith Pran in his room, Sydney's hairstyle changes between shots. It goes from neatly combed to hanging down over his forehead to neatly combed again.

Movie Rating: 7.9/10

Cast:
Sam Waterston .... Sydney Schanberg
Haing S. Ngor .... Dith Pran (as Dr. Haing S Ngor)
John Malkovich .... Alan 'Al' Rockoff, Photographer
Julian Sands .... Jon Swain
Craig T. Nelson .... Major Reeves, Military Attache
Spalding Gray .... United States consul
Bill Paterson .... Dr. MacEntire
Athol Fugard .... Dr. Sundesval
Graham Kennedy .... Dougal
Katherine Krapum Chey .... Ser Moeum: Dith Pran's wife
Oliver Pierpaoli .... Titony: Dith Pran's son
Edward Entero Chey .... Sarun, Sydney's Driver
Tom Bird .... US Military Advisor