The way the prosecutor yells at Sean Penn gives me chills every time. It really emulates the anger that the audience feels towards the men shown in this scene.
The prosecutor would be right to do so but they were probably more no nonsense than anything when prosecuting the accused for such horrific crimes against a local civilian.
I was on set also. I saw he kept a pack of cigarettes in the stenographers desk draw along with a small battery driven hand held fan. It was so hot on that set! Fresh cool air ventilation was terrible! You can see the two guards ( they were a couple of German guys on holiday in Phuket) sweating in their uniforms ! The stenographer was a cool dude too!
By far Michael J fox's best work, loved him on family ties and in back to the future and Doc Hollywood but this was unbelievably good, wish more people talked about this
I guess it's because both films are comedy. Or in the case of Back to the Future, his most famous work. But I'd put the role that he had on Back to the future part 2 along side with this one. The film was really dark and I felt Michael showed some of his skills just like in this film.
I still can't stop thinking about the poor girl, and her family. Such a well made movie, of just a horrible real life situation. This is one victim, yet Vietnamese people, and many other places around the world, suffered the same. The bastards, except the one tried to save the girl, should of fried!
What got me shocked was before this scene, Erikson was not only ignored by almost Everyone in the base, but they nearly pulled an attempted murder on him, despite no one believe him Very Scary situation to be in 😞
It is called death by friendly fire, research the number of unexplained and cover up deaths of soldiers at bases like Fort Hood in recent years. Someone at your base has a problem with you, easy for them to shoot you in the field. Female soldiers getting raped by their own comrades and threatened or killed when they speak up. Lavena Johnson and many more are murders covered up by the army. I believe that it's time for soldiers who commit these types of crime to have a trial in a court that is not under the jurisdiction of the military. The few bad eggs are making the army look bad.
Those others were monsters, at the end when leader was smiling that they killed the poor woman, pure evil beyond words....should of been shot there instead of the poor woman.
One of the saddest and darkest films I’ve ever watched that actually makes me feel immense pain and sadness for Erickson and the girl, this movie honestly broke me I had tears in my eyes seeing what those demons did to her she had a full life ahead of her and it was ripped so she could be abused raped and murdered truly horrifying. I do love the ending though where he returns the scarf instead of taking it like they did in the village kind of like a very sad sort of full circle.
I have no idea if and how many times "these things" have happened. If even once, it is sad to say the least. Sad movie but also important. I have not seen Michael in movies other than in kinda funny guy. Okay maybe not right word but still, here...I have no idea how he feels nowadays, but to others of course but to him and to others of course making this film happen, touching performances from all. I have said this before but not for many movies = I hope I never forget this,. PS. Music is very nice also. Cheers...
@madfeldor the reason the United States military were reluctant to prosecute these men was it was standard operating procedure for grounds troops to commit regular gang rape. Susan Brockmiller's outstanding book Against our will, men and rape, explores gang rape during war and the unofficial attitude the US military commanders had to gang rape in Korea and Vietnam.
I never cared much for Sean Penn, but he was fantastic in this part. He should at least have been nominated for something, but there was a lot of competition that year.
As much respect as I have for the men and women in uniform, I think it's safe to say we all agree those soldiers/marines/sailors/etc who commit war crimes (like this) should be seriously and severely punished.
I must disagree. Don't blame the soldier for his actions, blame the system that made him. If we don't want war crimes then we shouldn't accept the concept of war. The most grievous war crime is war itself. Don't blame soldiers who fight wars, blame the authorities that put them there.
@@PR--un4ub those young men weren't volunteers, they part of the draft. They were dragged away from their normal lives to fight in a war they never understood the purpose of and where the enemy could be any native they encountered. Many young men involved in the draft came home in body bags and those boys knew how likely death was.
@@PR--un4ub soldiers are always brave, noble men whose country should be proud of them. Without soldiers our countries would be far from safe and to be a volunteer soldier you either need to be insane or enjoy the prospect of killing. What other profession offers 18year old men the chance to get mentally or physically damaged for life, if not killed. If it was not for the stupidity of youth your country and mine might not be ran by whom they are and it might be your sister, wife/mother or daughter being gang raped by soldiers.
I salute that man for turning those men in for raping and killing that girl it's sad that the colonel was more worried about those men lives Bei ruined they ruined there own Lives with there choice they made
You mean private Ericsson whom after being prevented from going out of barracks and visiting the local town and participating in the gang rape of a Vietnamese sex slave in a brothel, got up an hour earlier than needed because is sergeant had told him, they were going to abducted and gang rape a civilian girl. You mean Private Ericsson whom while carrying a loaded riffle, entered a village and helped abduct a innocent girl whom he knew would be raped. You salute him for turning them in but ignore how complicit he was in their crime and guilty he was of conspiracy to abduction and gang rape. If he'd reported his sergeants plan to his colonel the night before, it might never have occurred.
The whole platoon are true American soldiers and Vietnam hero's. What they did might be disgusting but they fought for their country and they should be recognised for their service in Vietnam.
@@aridcasas2198 Cuando sacas a los jóvenes de sus vidas ordinarias y los envías a luchar y posiblemente morir en una guerra, automáticamente se convierten en héroes y soldados.Ese pelotón estaba dispuesto a morir por Estados Unidos y eso nunca debe olvidarse.
@@aridcasas2198 When you take young people out of their ordinary lives and send them to fight and possibly die in a war, they automatically become heroes and soldiers. That platoon was willing to die for America and that should never be forgotten.
Factoid: In 1993, the United Nations considered rape as a crime. Before then, it was considered a "prize" by many countries. The reason rape became a crime was because there were several incidences involving both men and women. It makes me think the UN would not have made it a crime if it was just women. Disturbing on many levels.
Making something a crime/illegal doesn't prevent it from happening. The United States of America as fought in Iraq twice and Afghanistan, since 1993 and how many Iraqi/ Afghanistan teenage girls and woman have given American GI's pleasure involuntarily. I suspect as many US soldiers were convicted of rape in Vietnam as in Iraq or Afghanistan. The United Nations criminalising war rape as changed nothing and never will.
This is brutal movies to watch, but damn was this scene satisfying! Despite all the BS Erikkson went through, he finally managed to get justice served against these assholes!
@@1223steffen and why would there be justice for them soilders when sent to fight know the consquences she was a civilian with nothing to do with the war other than living in that country
I lived in Phuket town (Thailand) in the mid 80's till 95. Many movies were shot there! Best I enjoyed was Robin Williams in 'Good Morning Vietnam' He was exactly as shown in the movie. Great fun and mixed well will all the 'extras' I was in the 'traffic jam of army trucks ' scene when Robin just 'adlibbed to all the guys in the backs of the trucks! Fantastic. In COW I did many battlefield scenes in the green army uniform. Many takes, very hot and Brian De Palma very meticulous! During the courtroom filming I also got some nice photo's with the Vietnamese 'victim' actress! All the cast were OK for photo opportunities. Sean Penn, no issues whatsoever! I like to meet him again! Movie shot in 1988. I still live in Thailand.
THANK YOU SO MUCH - for uploading this. I've been looking for this scene. Although I hate that they didn't get enough time - or harsher penalties, I love seeing this so-called "soldiers" get a trial...
@@Bassmaster_Ice318 not totally true. They did some years for it. The life sentence was commuted to 20 years and eligible for paraole in 10. Garcia got off on a technicality of his fifth amendment rights.
In real life ( in a interview video) There is a soldier who has a wife and 2 kids killed and raped women and children and he did not get trialed, I'm not sure if he still with his family, but may God with the wife and kids there's also one who actually SCALPED elders, women and children and he did not get trialed either, but he lost his family and was killed by police shootout And I almost got into a heated argument with a veteran who told me " that I never fought a war and that do not know what it's like being there" sure I'm not a veteran and I don't know what it's like, but I do know what's right and what's wrong.
The guy's voice that Fox's character remembers is voiced by Dale Dye. Dye in fact, was in the Vietnam War and after, did many acting roles in movies as well as being the technical advisor for many war movies too. He was also in the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'.
The one detail I like the most about this scene is that the woman is referred to by name. During the entire film she was just an unnamed local, treated like a subhuman, like she was just a toy or an animal to be used as the soldiers pleased, like she had less rights. But here she is referred to by her name. This subtly points out that she was a person, a human being, just like everybody else. She had a name, she had a family, she had a life. She did nothing wrong and she deserved to be treated with the dignity and respect that any fellow human being deserves to be treated with. Just saying her name out loud here really hits home this point: She was not just some unnamed nobody. She was a person.
Don't ever let peer pressure get to you, especially when someone is on your side and begging for your support, and ESPECIALLY when you told him you had his back
Saving a kid doesn’t negate the fact those bastards kidnapped a girl raped her then kill her. And all cause Sean penn’s character was pissed still about brownie
Brian DePalma said that Sean Penn whispered something like "TV actor" to Michael J. Fox to get the reaction out of him. It's a sad movie. Dale Dye, who plays the captain MJF says to "Go to Hell" was a real vet of Vietnam. He said a lot of bad things happened over there.
The scary part, is that you're probably right. This was probably just one of the few times where such actions were brought to light and actual consequences were handed to the perpetrators.
American troops routinely raped Vietnamese girls and women. GI were expected to rape, it was standard operational procedure. That's why the officers were reluctant to listen to Ericsson. Sadly the officers thought it was a soldier duty rather than a crime. That's what makes this case exceptional.
@James Cory he really said that while rolling that would be a surprise kind of like mystery solved their imagine Sean Bean saying something like before his head gets chopped off in Game of Thrones he whispered something like thank God it's over such a tense scene
@@emilystark3271 The United States Military hasn’t fought a war on American land in over a century. You naive fools who trust the government really are something special. The military is a tool of the government, and the government is a tool of special interests, lobbyists, corporations, and oligarchs. The military doesn’t give a shit about you, and they never will. 4,400 Americans didn’t die in Iraq to keep you free, they died in Iraq because George Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz lied about there being Al Qaeda and WMD’s there. Who funded and trained al Qaeda in the 80’s starting global terror networks? The CIA did through Operation Cyclone which was passed by the United States Congress which had CIA officers train Al Qaeda operatives to fight the Soviets. You “patriots” complain about Iran, and yet the government sold munitions to Iran in the 80’s during the Iran Contra Scandal. You complain about dictators in the Middle East and yet the government helped put Saddam in power twice, the first time failed but the second time in 1983 was successful. Then you sell weapons to Iraq to kill Iranians during the Iran-Iraq War. And then act surprised when Iraq under a dictator invades Kuwait leading to the Gulf War. Vietnam was launched not for your freedom, it was started after Lyndon Johnson and his SECDEF Robert McNamara lied about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, they totally fabricated the second and most important attack which they then used to get congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which started the war and got 58,000 Americans killed and they didn’t even win the damn war in the end. The military hasn’t fought for freedom in a very very very long time, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are not honorable men either I can tell you that much buttercup. Use the brain in your skull, it’s there for a reason. America is not a free country anymore, the elections are rigged, the stock market isn’t free, the media is biased, the internet is censored, and now you have to wear 2-3 masks and socially distance whilst taking 3 experimental mRNA gene therapy vaccines a year for the rest of your life or else you’ll get fired from your job or expelled from school. Blm and antifa attacked half the country for an entire summer and the brave military didn’t do shit to stop them, in fact that PUSSY General Mark Milley apologized after the area between the White House and the nearby church was cleared of anarchists. And your brave law enforcement KNEELED for the rioters. So much for law and order. Nice freedom the brave soldiers have preserved. Thank goodness for them. If the military was fighting for our freedom they would storm congress and not some West Asian villages.
@@definitelyantifa7817 Huh, I had two combat deployments during OIF with the US Army 2nd ID. I wish I could tell you that you're wrong but I really can't. Most of our civilian and military leadership is a total disgrace. They're in business for themselves and think of us as disposable peasantry. But the mettle and the heart of the guys I served alongside still humbles me to this day. They were the very best and being with them was truly an honor. I'm not ashamed to say I love them. But that is where the tragedy lies for me. We deserved a better war; one that would do our suffering justice. We did our best and making you all at home proud of us was something we really took seriously. But I, like many of my brothers, had absolutely no idea how fucked up and corrupt our government had become. It was only in the last few years that we've had our eyes so thoroughly opened. Our own government, rotten to the core, is basically at war with its own citizens. Many who didn't get it before now finally understand. But recognizing a problem is the first step to solving it. If I ever draw my proverbial sword again it will be in defense of freedom here in America, not some third world shit hole.
@@BULL.173 very interesting good thoughts. then ruined it with the last clause. if you consider Vietnam a "third world shit hole" just also consider that this "shit hole* has had 60 odd deaths & about 12000 cases in country of 90 million+. compared to the US s *600,000* deaths & about *34* *million* cases to date. even making up for the difference in population Vietnam would only have had approx 36000 cases & 180 deaths, under its current response to covid 19. impressive for a "third world shit hole".
None, these guys are a disgrace to the uniform. The horrors of war are no excuse to committing rape and murder. True soldiers may experience the horrors of war, but they pull through either way. These guys definitely got they deserved.
@Flying Hellfish i could get into a lot of details . I try to make comments short. Bringing the girl along was a potential liability. I can think of a few things that could have gone deadly wrong with her along. People who are buying guns because they want a civil war in the USA have to be ready for situations like this and more
The movie did a bit of disservice here. In real life the convicted soldiers all successfully appealed their convictions and got reduced sentences and then received early parole.
Sickening they did....JAG should of thrown them into the death row....never seen daylight again, except for the one that told exactly what those bastards did.
Great movie and great performances by Fox and Penn, but I can see why it doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. Its just too brutal to watch, and I mean the scenes with the Vietnamese girl of course.
None of them had been convicted at the time of their trial. His statement was a defence and a argument against convicting him. If he couldn't give a defence then what would be the point in a trial.
Uttering a threat towards a witness just after receiving a conviction would have invited more trouble. I'm guessing that Erickson wasn't worried about whatever Meserve said since he was never going to set eyes on him or the other three ever again.
Captain Hill (Played by Dale Dye) was right about court-martials are lenient and If these guys get convicted they won't do any real time. Gervase’s ( Played by Sean Penn) initial sentence of 10 years, reduced to 8 years, he was paroled on August 9, 1969
The catch is that to earn parole, one has to take responsibility for the crime or crimes committed and understand why those actions were wrong to begin with. And then there's the conditions imposed on someone on parole which need to be followed or the parolee could be sent back to prison. That disgraced sargeant's life probably never got any better and he probably couldn't really challenge anyone who might have called him a baby killer or worse because it would be a lose-lose situation that he brought upon himself.
I still feel soo damn sorry for the poor girl....did no harm to anyone, then those 2 fu@@ing spores violently harmed her...and at the end, even when one tried to save her, was pointless.....I wish I could of been there to save her, and waste away those fu@@ers that did that to her!
Liam Keane, a large majority of United States soldier who served in Korea, Vietnam and recently in both Iraq wars and Afghanistan forced sex onto a native either during combat duties or in a brothel where that girl was a sex slave that raped her into submission. Volunteering soldiers should be warned that they will be participating in gang raped either knowing they or by accident before being deployed.
The way I see it is this: Pfc. Hatcher (RAPE) should have been given 8 to 10 years, Pfc. Diaz (Rape & Unpremeditated Murder), 10 years, Sgt. Merzerve (Unpremeditated Murder), 15 to Life; but Cpl. Clark's (Rape & Premeditated Murder) sentence was right on the money. As for Pfc. Errickson, it's a shame that there were not more good soldiers and true Americans like him (and the chaplain) back then. Though only a mere grunt, against all odds, a blatant abuse of power and trust by his superiors, and even an attempt on his life, he stood up to them all to vindicate the death of a native girl of a country the US ARMY was sent to protect. Soldiers like Errickson are what makes me proud to be a veteran, an American, and a human being.
I can’t help but laugh everytime the guy asks “did you go willingly into the hooch?” I always though he was talking about the girl and not the hut. WHY is it called a hooch? 😂
Geez..I don't know? Perhaps 'cause Clark was the who began the murder of the woman? He stabbed her multiple times and on his orders everyone else but Eriksson shot her dead!!
He had no remorse on what he has done. I bet the group commander was the same. However, he was more vocal and tried to justify his behaviour. That was the difference.
This movie traumatized me watching it when i was little....was being played in front of me...& father didnt care....he was a pig just like them......still to this day remember her raped on the floor-fucking horrible...this movie is hard! Always wished that any man that rapes is brought back in his next life and treated the same!...
ilove the title,,all bastard should be treated that way,i like america,they are the superpower i like,they have great power and great responsibility,i know they are not perfect but i trust them
