History Final Film Research Project Post #5

The film, Casualties of War, portrays a story based on a primary source from a private in the military during the Vietnam War. The movie was created by a director named Brian De Palma to bring attention to a rape, kidnapping, and murder that was never publicized and really known across the United States. The full story of the incident that happened in Vietnam was never known until in 1969 a reporter named Daniel Lang released the full story, as  told by Eriksson. Thirteen years after the report from Daniel Lang the movie was made, based off of the story of first hand accounts by Mr. Eriksson. While the movie does cover most of the real factual events of the story there was also some dramatization in some parts as to attract more attention and draw audience into the movie much like in the movie 12 Years a Slave. An example of something that was used to make the audience feel more and become more attached to private Eriksson was like how in the movie it was said that Eriksson had a wife as well as a daughter, even with a picture of his daughter, where as in reality the private only had his wife back home. Another instance where this happened was when early in the movie there was a character named Brownie who suffered from a gun wound and had to be evacuated to bring the audience in so that they didn't get bored with only historical content. The character Brownie was never referred to have existed in the story told by Private Eriksson to reporter Daniel Lang. As described by Vincent Canby in a New York Times movie review, each character played their part spectacularly. Micheal Fox playing the "conscious-stricken" Erikkson and Sean Penn playing the crafty Merserve with the others in the squad following his lead with unquestioned loyalty. A larger dramatization that occurred in the movie was when they were actually murdering the girl that they kidnapped. In the primary source it said that she was killed and disposed off, whereas in the movie it heavily dramatized the scene during a firefight over a railway. In the movie she got up after being stabbed, covered in blood, walking toward the soldiers only to be shot multiple times by Sgt. Meserve and the other members of the squad only to have her fall off of the railroad and ultimately die. It also showed when Eriksson tried to tell his commanding platoon leader the story of what happened and only having him talk down and say that what happens on the battlefield stays on the battlefield, trying to keep the instance of what happened from getting out. Nearing the end of the movie during the court martial scene it showed the men responsible for their crimes being sent to prison for their actions out in the field. This displays the climax of the movie showing the emotion of the men and ultimately ending with Eriksson achieving his goal to bring out the true story of what happened. Casualties of War much like 12 Years a Slave was more of a "work of art", and not "feel good" story. Brian De Palma, like many other history film makers, used the story told as a backdrop and was more interested in creating an emotional response from the audience while also telling a factual and important store.