New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff. When the U.S. Army pulls out amid escalating violence, Schanberg makes exit arrangements for Pran and his family. Pran, however, tells Schanberg he intends to stay in Cambodia to help cover the unfolding story — a decision he may regret as the Khmer Rouge rebels move in.
"Here, only the silent survive."
Top Billed Cast
Sam Waterston
Sydney Schanberg
Haing S. Ngor
Dith Pran
John Malkovich
Al Rockoff
Julian Sands
Jon Swain
Craig T. Nelson
Military Attaché
Spalding Gray
U.S. Consul
Bill Paterson
Dr. MacEntire
Athol Fugard
Dr. Sundesval
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
C CinemaSerfVerified TMDB Critic
2022-03-27
Sam Waterston is New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg on post in Cambodia as the civil war comes to it's violent, cruel conclusion. Working with local journalist Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) they report on the rapidly deteriorating situation. When the American forces evacuate, Pran manages to get his family to safety but he can't leave himself and so Schanberg dedicates himself to the task of extricating his friend from the clutches of the brutal Pol Pot regime in the course of which he discovers just how extensive the "Year Zero" campaign that killed hundreds of thousands of the largely pe...
F Filipe Manuel NetoVerified TMDB Critic
2023-09-04
**A remarkable film that deserves to be viewed and that recalls a barbaric moment in the history of a country.**
When there's a war, there's bound to be a film about what happened during that same war. Human conflicts have always fueled the film industry. It's something instinctive, we are attracted to the horror of carnage at the same time that we feel guilty about it, and we get tired of condemning violence and cruelty. I think that only those who have lived through a war have the ability to overcome this paradox, not only because of the memories evoked, sometimes traumatic, but also beca...
W WuchakVerified TMDB Critic
2024-12-18
**_When a Southeast Asian country decides to reset to Year Zero_**
Just after the USA withdraws from Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge overtakes Phnom Penh in April, 1975 as an American journalist (Sam Waterston) is forced to leave his Cambodian buddy behind (Haing S. Ngor). The latter has no choice but to endure Pol Pot’s genocide over the next 3.5 years.
“The Killing Fields” (1984/1985) is a harrowing docudrama based on the true story. It’s the furthest thing from a fun flick, but it effectively takes you back to the Cambodian holocaust and provides a good idea of what went down. It’s...
