Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site usceast.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!ncrcae!usceast!ted From: ted@usceast.UUCP (Ted Nolan) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: KILLING FIELDSMessage-ID: <2179@usceast.UUCP> Date: Sat, 9-Mar-85 01:51:07 EST Article-I.D.: usceast.2179 Posted: Sat Mar 9 01:51:07 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 04:49:46 EST References: <494@ahutb.UUCP> Reply-To: ted@usceast.UUCP (System Programmer) Organization: Csci Dept, U of S. Carolina, Columbia Lines: 41 Summary: Too long,annoying character I saw _The Killing Fields_ last weekend and was not much impressed. I understand that war is very confusing to the people involved, not at all as clear cut as a general's map, but confusing the audience is not the way to make this point. There were several points in the movie where I had very little idea what was going on, mostly, but not entirely because of the language barrier; in my view, with few exceptions, while characters may get caught in the flow of events, the audience needs more data to appreciate what is happening to them. The movie was too long. I remember thinking at the end that there must have been 30 minutes of unnecessary footage. There were several New York scenes I would have cut entirely and the whole French Embassy stay could have been shortened easily. The focus of the film was wrong; it should have been Pran's story, starting probably at the point where he puts his family on the evacuation flight. As it stands, entirely too much attention is paid to the Sidney whatshisname character. Pran is an irritating character, it is hard to feel too deeply for him. We never really know his motivations, all we have are his mannerisms which consist mainly of unceasing groveling to Sidney and a constant beseeching patter to various captors delivered while praying(? or whatever that hands-clasped gesture means). In particular, it is hard to sympathize much with his devotion to Sidney, who seems to little deserve it. The M*A*S*H 'letters to home' like narration of his captivity helps little either. I realized that my enjoyment of the movie was rapidly slacking, when several times I just wished he would shut up. I'm glad the real Pran made it out of Cambodia, but the movie should be deported :-) Ted Nolan ..usceast!ted -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ted Nolan ...decvax!mcnc!ncsu!ncrcae!usceast!ted (UUCP) 6536 Brookside Circle ...akgua!usceast!ted Columbia, SC 29206 allegra!usceast!ted@seismo (ARPA, maybe) ("Deep space is my dwelling place, the stars my destination") -------------------------------------------------------------------------------