The Killing Fields (1984)

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writer:

Bruce Robinson (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

He was a reporter for the New York Times whose coverage of the Cambodian War would win him a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. But the friend who made it possible was half the world away with his life in great danger... This is the story of war and friendship, the anguish of a country and of one man's will to live.

Plot:

A photographer is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot's bloody "Year Zero" cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million "undesirable" civilians.

Plot Keywords:

Cambodia | New York Times | Khmer Rouge | New York | Airport

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Sam Waterston	...	Sydney Schanberg
Haing S. Ngor	...	Dith Pran (as Dr. Haing S Ngor)
John Malkovich	...	Alan 'Al' Rockoff
Julian Sands	...	John Swain
Craig T. Nelson	...	Major Reeves
Spalding Gray	...	U.S. Consul
Bill Paterson	...	Dr. MacEntire
Athol Fugard	...	Dr. Sundesval
Graham Kennedy	...	Dougal
Katherine Krapum Chey	...	Ser Moeum
Oliver Pierpaoli	...	Titony
Edward Entero Chey	...	Sarun
Tom Bird	...	U.S. Military Advisor
Monirak Sisowath	...	Phat - Khmer Rouge Leader
Lambool Dtangpaibool	...	Phat's Son
Ira Wheeler	...	Ambassador Wade
David Henry	...	France
Patrick Malahide	...	Morgan
Nell Campbell	...	Beth
Joan Harris	...	TV Interviewer
Joanna Merlin	...	Sydney Schanberg's Sister
Jay Barney	...	Sydney Schanberg's Father
Mark Long	...	Noaks
Sayo Inaba	...	Mrs. Noaks
Mow Leng	...	Sirik Matah
Chinsaure Sar	...	Arresting Officer
Hout Ming Tran	...	Khmer Rouge Cadre
Thach Suon	...	Sahn
Neevy Pal	...	Rosa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Bodycomb	...	Jeep Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Roland Joffé

Writing credits
Bruce Robinson		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Puttnam	....	producer
Iain Smith	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mike Oldfield

Cinematography by
Chris Menges

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Casting by
Marion Dougherty
Susie Figgis
Pat Golden
Juliet Taylor		(as Juliette Taylor)

Production Design by
Roy Walker

Art Direction by
Roger Murray-Leach
Steve Spence

Costume Design by
Judy Moorcroft

Makeup Department
Ronnie Cogan	....	key hair stylist
Yvonne Coppard	....	makeup artist
James Keeler	....	hair stylist: Toronto
Ken Lintott	....	makeup artist
Tommie Manderson	....	makeup supervisor
Sophy Pradith	....	makeup artist
Chris Taylor	....	hair stylist
Freddie Williamson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David Coatsworth	....	production manager: Toronto
Robin Douet	....	production supervisor
Charles Hubbard	....	unit production manager: Thailand
Claude Hudson	....	production manager: Bangkok
Philip Kohler	....	production manager: Phuket (as Phil Kohler)
Barrie Melrose	....	production manager: Thailand

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Barron	....	assistant director
David Brown	....	assistant director
Alan Goluboff	....	assistant director: Toronto
Charles Hubbard	....	assistant director: second unit
Buranee Rachjaibun	....	assistant director
Howard Rothschild	....	assistant director: Toronto
Sompol Sungkawess	....	assistant director
Gerry Toomey	....	assistant director
Bill Westley	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Martin Atkinson	....	assistant art director
Paul Bradburn	....	props
Jacques M. Bradette	....	set dresser: Toronto
Howard Brown	....	graphic designer
Ken Court	....	assistant art director
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
Len Day	....	chargehand carpenter
George Dean	....	chargehand painter
Andrew Deskin	....	head props: Toronto
Patrick Doyle	....	stagehand
Len Furey	....	construction manager
John Gorham	....	graphic designer
Julie Graysmark	....	draughtswoman
Fred Gunning	....	supervising chargehand carpenter
Bill Harman	....	construction manager: Toronto
Frank Henry	....	chargehand carpenter
Ronald Kent	....	painter
John Porter	....	carpenter
Michael Quayle	....	chargehand plasterer
Ron Quelch	....	production buyer
John Roberts	....	master painter
Alan Seabrook	....	chargehand painter
Mickey Spence	....	supervising plasterer
Thomas Tarry	....	supervising plasterer
Alan Taylor	....	supervising carpenter
Andrew Tombs	....	plasterer
Terry Wells	....	property master
Dave Midson	....	stand-by prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Compton	....	footsteps editor (as Ray Compton)
Ian Fuller	....	dubbing editor
Leonard Green	....	assistant dialogue editor (as Lenny Green)
David Grimsdale	....	assistant dubbing editor
Dushko Indjic	....	boom operator (as Dushan Indjic)
Eddy Joseph	....	dialogue editor
Ray Merrin	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Ric O'Connor	....	assistant footsteps editor (as Rick O'Connor)
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Niwat Sumneangsanor	....	sound assistant
Robert Taylor	....	second camera sound mixer (as Bob Taylor)
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist: UK (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Alan Bryce	....	special effects technician (as Allan Bryce)
Fred Cramer	....	special effects supervisor
Andrew 'Sandy' Overholtzer	....	special effects technician (as Andrew Overholtzer)
Melvyn Pearson	....	special effects technician
Jay King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Neil Sharp	....	opticals

Stunts
Terry Forestal	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
James Ainslie	....	clapper loader
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Jonn Barry	....	electrician
Peter Bloor	....	gaffer
Ray Boyle	....	gaffer: Toronto
Tony Breeze	....	assistant camera: second unit
Peter Casey	....	generator operator
John Clark	....	best boy
Tony Cridlin	....	grip (as Tony Cridlin Jr.)
John Field	....	rigger
Judy Freeman	....	video operator
Jeremy Gee	....	focus puller
Eddie Knight	....	electrician
Agapios Louka	....	camera maintenance
Robert McRae	....	key grip: Toronto
Eric Melville	....	electrician trainee
Allan Mills	....	electrician
Satharn Pairaoh	....	assistant camera
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Stephen Samson	....	rigger
Ivan Strasburg	....	director of photography: second unit
Costas Charitou	....	opticals: Camera Effects Ltd (uncredited)
Roland Neveu	....	special shoot photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Say Hong	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anthony Black	....	wardrobe assistant
Keith Denny	....	wardrobe supervisor
Norman Dickens	....	wardrobe master
Keith Morton	....	wardrobe master
Marc O'Hara	....	wardrobe master: Toronto
Doungporn Soawapap	....	wardrobe assistant
Gary Wells	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Bryan Oates	....	first assistant editor
Anne Sopel	....	second assistant editor
Tony Tromp	....	editor trainee

Music Department
David Bedford	....	composer: additional music
David Bedford	....	music arranger: choral
David Bedford	....	orchestrator
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer
John Gale	....	music consultant
Eberhard Schoener	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Brian Hathaway	....	action vehicles manager
John Hollywood	....	unit driver: London
Michael Jones	....	transportation coordinator
Pamela Wells	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Barbara Allen	....	production coordinator: Thailand
Judy Arthur	....	press liaison: USA
Simon Atherton	....	armorer
Joan Bull	....	unit nurse
Paul Caldicott	....	catering assistant
Rachelle Charron	....	accountant: Toronto
Diane Chittell	....	production coordinator: Canada
Nobby Clark	....	supervising rigger (as Roy T. Clark)
Dominic Clooney	....	catering supervisor
Teresa Colman	....	assistant to producer
Con Cremins	....	assistant accountant
Penny Eyles	....	continuity
Kate Fitzmaurice	....	voice coach
Brian Harris	....	production accountant
John Hemmings	....	liaison
Gilly Hodson	....	publicity: Enigma
Christine Hoy	....	assistant accountant
Alan Kingham	....	catering assistant
Dean McGill	....	catering assistant
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Richard Nesbitt	....	unit doctor
Len Nieder	....	catering manager
Uberto Pasolini	....	unit runner
Santa Pestonji	....	production executive: Thailand
Betty Sharp	....	secretary to accountant
Julie Sheppard	....	attachment: National Film School
Phillip Small	....	catering assistant
Andy Birmingham	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Hugh O'Donnell	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Sasisupa Sungvaribud	....	assistant to production supervisor: Thailand (uncredited)

Thanks
Denis Cameron	....	thanks
Dr. Murray Carmichael	....	thanks
Tim Carney	....	thanks
Patricia Churchill	....	thanks (as Pat Churchill)
Pat Coulter	....	thanks (as Majot Pat Coulter)
Neil Davis	....	thanks
Sylvana Foa	....	thanks
Mervyn Jones	....	thanks
Paul McCartney	....	thanks
Sarah McLean	....	thanks
John Norton	....	thanks
Bruce Palling	....	thanks
Adrian Stevens	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Enigma (First Casualty) Ltd.
• Goldcrest Films International
• International Film Investors

Distributors

• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1984) (UK) (theatrical)
• Concorde Film (1985) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Braveworld (1991) (UK) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Optimum Releasing (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• Bapty and Co.  armourer's employer
• Blowup  stills processing
• Camera Effects  opticals
• Coca Cola Export  grateful thanks
• International Committee of the Red Cross  grateful thanks
• Joe Dunton & Company  grateful thanks (as Joe Dunton Cameras)
• Lee Electrics  grateful thanks
• Location Caterers  catering
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• New York Times, The  grateful thanks
• Olympic Optical  grateful thanks
• Optical Film Effects  opticals
• Oxfam  grateful thanks
• Thai International Airways  grateful thanks
• The Grip House  grip's employer
• Thorn EMI Film Studios Ltd.  dubbing mixing
• Toronto Star Newspapers (TSNL)  grateful thanks
• United States Marine Corps  grateful thanks

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Khmer

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Enigma (First Casualty) Ltd.

Trivia:

Of all the real people involved in the story, the only major participant who refused to collaborate in the making of the movie was Al Rockoff, the character portrayed by John Malkovich.

Goofs:

Continuity: When listening to the news on the radio in the French consulate, a bottle of Champagne and a glass are standing on the piano. In the next cut, the bottle and the glass are gone. Another journalist then brings both items to the piano again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sydney Schanberg: Cambodia. To many westerners it seemed a paradise. Another world, a secret world. But the war in neighboring Vietnam burst it's borders, and the fighting soon spread to neutral Cambodia. In 1973 I went to cover this side-show struggle as a foreign correspondent of the New York Times...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#4.5)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Nessun dorma

Powerful Drama But Hard To Watch

It's been over 20 years since I saw this film and parts of it still haunt me.....brutal, emotional scenes which I do NOT want to see ever again. It's just too gut-wrenching and uncomfortable to sit through a second time. Generally, it's two hours of suffering and torture. Who wants to watch that?

It IS a powerful story, though, based on the true life adventures of Dith Pran (played by Haing S. Ngor) who somehow survived the unbelievably-brutal regime of Cambodia dictator Pol Pot. Other reviewers here have detailed the storyline, so there is no sense me rehashing that.

Suffice to say this is a movie that - be warned - is very tough to view in many spots - but will leave you emotionally drained. Ngor's harrowing performance is one to remember, as is the horrible story of what happened in the mid '70s in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. This movie was filmed with Thailand and the scenery there, along with the excellent cinematography, makes this a visual treat.

Some have complained that the film is too slow for them. Others didn't like this because it was overtly anti-American in some regards (the bombing of Cambodia). I can understand those complaints. What bothered me most was that I just found the whole based-on-a-true happening story too sad.