CASUALTIES OF WAR 59
(1978), The Deer Hunter (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), Platoon (1986), and Full Metal
Jacket (1987)— and with De Palma a hot director after scoring a major hit with The
Untouchables (1987), Dawn Steel (Columbia’s new studio head) green- lit the proj-
ect, confident that it, too, would be a moneymaker.
Production
Except for bookend scenes shot in San Francisco, Casualties of War was filmed on
location in Thailand from late March to early July 1988. To achieve verisimilitude
De Palma’s technical advisor (also Oliver Stone’s advisor on Platoon), Vietnam
Marine veteran Dale Dye (who also has a small part in the film) had the actors eat
C- rations, sent them on forced marches carry ing M-60 machine guns or an M-79
grenade launcher, and had them learn to fieldstrip their M-16 rifles for the first
two weeks on location. Ubiquitous snakes, insects, and the intense tropical heat
and humidity made the four- month shoot a grueling experience.
Plot Summary
Most of the film unfolds as the flashback- nightmare of Max Eriksson (Michael J.
Fox), a Vietnam veteran who falls asleep on a Muni Metro train in San Francisco.
On nighttime patrol, Lt. Reilly’s (Ving Rhames) platoon is attacked by the Viet Cong
after a soldier panics and exposes their position. Soon thereafter Eriksson walks
over an abandoned Viet Cong tunnel. It collapses, trapping him. He is rescued by
his squad leader, Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn). While on break near a river vil-
lage in the Central Highlands, the unit comes under fire, and one of Meserve’s
friends, the squad’s radio operator Spec 4 “Brownie” Brown (Erik King), is fatally
wounded, a death that deeply affects Meserve. Back at their barracks at Wolfe Base,
Pfc. Antonio Dìaz ( John Leguizamo) arrives as Brownie’s replacement. Sent back
out on a long- range recon patrol, an embittered Meserve orders the squad to kid-
nap a Viet nam ese girl for sex. Eriksson tries to dissuade his comrades, but Meserve,
Cpl. Thomas E. Clark (Don Patrick Harvey), and Pfc. Herbert Hatcher ( John C.
Reilly) ignore him. After sunset, the troops kidnap a young Viet nam ese villa ger
named Than Thi Oahn (Thuy Thu Le) and take her with them on patrol. The squad
later shelters in an abandoned hooch where Meserve, Clark, and Hatcher confront
Erikkson and Dìaz, pressuring them to join in the victimization of Than. To pla-
cate the others Dìaz decides to go along with the rape. Erikkson, now outnum-
bered four to one, is asked to stand guard while the other squad members rape
Than. At dawn, Erikkson is left to watch over Than while the other troops posi-
tion themselves by a railroad bridge near a Viet Cong river supply depot. Erikkson
decides to go against his orders and bring Than back to her family, but Meserve
sends Clark to get Erikkson and Than, thus thwarting Erikkson’s plan. Meserve
commands Dìaz to radio for air support so that the squad can attack the depot
and then goes a step further by ordering Dìaz to stab Than to death. To rescue
Than, Eriksson fires his weapon and gives away their position to enemy combat-
ants. During the battle that follows, Than and Eriksson attempt to flee, but Meserve
takes down Eriksson with his gun. Eriksson is left to watch, helpless, as his squad
members exterminate Than and leave her to fall off of the bridge. Following the