Rules of Engagement (2000)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers (WGA):

James Webb (story)
Stephen Gaghan (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

A hero should never have to stand alone.

Plot:

An attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a third world country.

Plot Keywords:

Colonel | Embassy | Lawyer | Trial | Yemen

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Col. Hayes 'Hodge' Hodges
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Col. Terry L. Childers
Guy Pearce	...	Maj. Mark Biggs
Ben Kingsley	...	Ambassador Mourain
Bruce Greenwood	...	National Security Advisor Bill Sokal
Anne Archer	...	Mrs. Mourain
Blair Underwood	...	Capt. Lee
Philip Baker Hall	...	Gen. H. Lawrence Hodges
Dale Dye	...	Gen. Perry
Amidou	...	Dr. Ahmar
Mark Feuerstein	...	Tom Chandler
Richard McGonagle	...	Judge Col. E. Warner
Baoan Coleman	...	Col. Binh Le Cao
Nicky Katt	...	Hayes Hodges III
Ryan Hurst	...	Capt. Hustings

Also Known As:

Les règles d'engagement (Canada: French title)
Rules - Sekunden der Entscheidung (Germany)
Rules of Engagement - Die Regeln des Krieges (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for scenes of war violence, and for language.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA | Canada | UK | Germany

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

A replica of the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, NC, was built at the Vint Hill Farm Station, South Manassas, VA. Some 800 Marines were hired for the combat and other action scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the courtroom scenes the bruises on Col. Childers' face from his fight with Col. Hodges move around. For example, when the verdict is read Col. Childers has a crescent shaped bruise under his eye and a cut or split in his lip. However, when he emerges from the courtroom following the verdict, the crescent shaped bruise is gone and there is no noticeable injury to his lip.

Quotes:

Colonel Terry L. Childers: Waste those motherf*ckers.

Movie Connections:

References A Few Good Men (1992)

Soundtrack:

On the Threshold of Liberty

The main plot point is too tough to swallow

Apart from The Exorcist, this is the only thing by Friedkin I've seen. Is it just me, or are these two the only particularly recognizable titles he's helmed? Why? His direction isn't half bad. The battle sequences manage to be intense and gripping, without disorienting the viewer; seldom is such a balance reached, and this does pretty well at it. Editing and cinematography are also great. The roles are well-cast, if Baker Hall is somewhat wasted with so little screen-time, and Kingsley, well, he does rather well for what he's given to work with. Teaming up Jackson and Lee Jones is a cool idea, and it really pays off. The two have nice chemistry, and they're both completely convincing. Acting is almost all impeccable. After a promising start, however, this turns out to take a simplistic approach to the conflict, abandoning all opportunity for exploration of the moral dilemma. Furthermore, the audience has a hard time accepting the problem presented to our leads. I won't detail it, you'll know what I mean when you see it, if you do. It is a gaping hole in the script, and credibility falls out of it. I guess the fault lies with the writers, or at least one of them. The courtroom scenes are average, never completely captivating the viewer, and the ending is downright poor. There is gruesome, bloody violence in this, as well as strong language. I recommend this solely to the biggest fans of those who made it. 6/10