Underplayed Gems

The Killing Fields (1984)

The Killing Fields poster
Directed by
Roland Joffé
Genre
drama film, biographical film
Country
United Kingdom
Runtime
2h 21m
Rated
R
Rating
7.5 of 10 from 835 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This film follows two journalists during the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia. One is captured and forced into the labor camps while the other tries to find him. It shows their separate struggles to survive and reunite.

harrowingintensesombervisceralpersonalsoberingtraumaticurgent

What happens

The Killing Fields is a 1984 British biographical drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists, Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. It was directed by Roland Joffé and produced by David Puttnam for Goldcrest Films. Sam Waterston stars as Schanberg, Haing S. Ngor as Pran, and John Malkovich as Al Rockoff. The adaptation for the screen was written by Bruce Robinson; the musical score was written by Mike Oldfield and orchestrated by David Bedford; and the costumes were designed by Judy Moorcroft. The film was a success at the box office and an instant hit with critics. At the 57th Academy Awards it received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won three, most notably Best Supporting Actor for Haing S. Ngor, who had no previous acting experience, as well as Best Cinematography and Best Editing. At the 38th British Academy Film Awards, it won eight BAFTAs, including Best Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ngor. In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Killing Fields the 100th-greatest British film of the 20th century. It is now seen as one of the greatest films of all time. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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