Movie “Casualties of War”
I watched “Casualties of War” on a CS broadcast for the first time in many years. The movie is based on a true story from the Vietnam War. Michael J. Fox’s agonizing performance and Sean Penn’s performance as the villainous sergeant who is the main villain is excellent.
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Synopsis (from Goo Movies).
In 1974, Eriksson (Michael J. Fox), a Vietnam veteran, is startled by the sight of an Asian schoolgirl sitting across from him on a train (caretaker’s note… actually a bus) – Eriksson was on the battlefield in Vietnam in 1966 when he fell into a tunnel dug by the enemy and was unable to move. He is in a desperate situation and is saved by his superior officer, Sergeant Meserve (Sean Penn). Shortly thereafter, on his imminent return, radio operator Brown (Eric King) is shot and killed. The enraged comrades shot and killed a random Viet Namese villager. One night, the platoon returns to base and is ordered on a reconnaissance patrol of the Central Vietnamese Highlands. Eriksson can’t believe his ears, but he actually kidnaps a young girl, Oanh (Thuy Thu Le), who is then taken by four of his comrades, Meserve, Clark (Don Harvey), Hatcher (John C. Reilly), and Diaz (John Leguizamo), except Eriksson. And they rape her. Eriksson, unable to do anything but care for his wounded daughter, tries to escape her while his comrades are away, but that too fails. Eventually, the platoon came to the banks of a river with a North Vietnamese position on the other side. Then, in a fierce firefight, Oanh was shot dead on the order of Sergeant Meserve in an attempt to erase evidence of the kidnapping and assault. Eriksson returns to the base and complains about the incident to the military high command, but his superiors refuse to take him seriously. Then, after an attempt on his life by four members of his platoon, Eriksson finally complains to the unit’s chaplain about the entire incident. And with that, a formal investigation by the military began. The four soldiers, including Sergeant Meserve, were court-martialed and sentenced to prison – Eriksson came to his senses when the train stopped. He got off the train, followed by a female student (played by Thuy Thu Le) sitting in front of him. The peaceful campus scenery spread out before him, and for a moment, Eriksson’s heart was at ease.
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The title of the cinema is “Casualties of War” but how should we translate it into Japanese? According to the latest Concise English-Japanese Dictionary (1968 edition), “Casualty” means “unforeseen event” and the plural “Casualties” means “number of casualties.
Incidentally, Webster’s New Practical School Dictionary states;
“Chance”, “Accident”, “An unfortunate occurrence”.
The New Horizon Ladder Dictionary says “one hurt or killed”.
Well, if we translate it in the greatest common divisor way, does it mean “a victim of war”? But does this “victim” really refer to the Vietnamese girl? I can’t help but think that it rather refers to the soldiers depicted in this film. In any case, I think it is a “meaningful” title. I would like to know if anyone is familiar with the English language on this.
Aside from that, this is a movie about the “local procurement of women” which was a “common practice” of the Japanese Army during World War II, and it is a movie that every Japanese should see at least once. What makes me think that American films are not so bad is that such “indictment films” are constantly being made by some filmmakers, for what it’s worth. There are certainly conscientious filmmakers such as Michael Moore. On the other hand, my homeland, Japan…. I’ll stop, it makes me feel empty.
Sean Penn, who played one of the main characters in the film, is the best when it comes to playing young people who are a bit crazy, criminals, or psychos. Incidentally, he is a supporter of the conservation group Sea Shepherd.
In “Platoon,” Charlie Sheen’s new recruit awakens to “justice” through his good superior, Elias, and his antagonist, Burns, but in “Casualties of War” the main character is the only one who sticks to his “conscience” while everyone around him is involved in crime, which is pathetic and painful. It is not a film with a good aftertaste, but I recommend everyone to see it once. #film #movie #casualtiesofwar #vietnamwar #片山俊幸
