Despite the overarching revisionism prevalent in the early portions of the film - it is still a somber representation of the Khmer Rouge and the suffering of Cambodia and it's people.
Generally speaking the film did a fantastic job representing the people of Cambodia and their fears as the Khmer Rouge (ANGKAR) forced themselves into power. Mass civilian displacement, labor camps, torture, executions, and property confiscation is all covered through the eyes of a five year old child (daughter of a Lon Nol Captain) and her family.
After some stock footage and the obvious political message is over with, we are taken to (presumably) 1975 Cambodia during the fall of Phnom Penh. After the Khmer Rouge march in, Loung Ung (our young protagonist) and her family are forced out of their family home into the countryside. During the trek they are forced by ANGKAR to forfeit anything deemed 'Western', and their family vehicle is confiscated for the 'greater good' of the movement.
Shortly thereafter, they are interned in a labor camp, forced to remove all color from their clothes, cut their hair, and conform to society under ANGKAR (e.g. everyone is equal, no money...usual communist ideals). In this society no Western medicine is permitted and they are forced to swear allegiance to Angkar. Each night they are grouped up for 're-education' and during one of these events some children note a man used French medicine to treat his child. The man is subsequently removed from the group, chastised, tied to a tree, and tortured (it is implied).
After a number of days in the camp, Loung Ung's elder siblings are removed from the family to aid the cause in separate regions...meaning they were being sent to the 'front lines.'
During these emotional scenes we are shown memories Loung shared with the departed, which really helped drive home the horrors of what was happening in the country.
After the loss of her siblings we come to see the ANGKAR using her and the other children for child labor (gathering water, tending to crops, picking beans etc.). Throughout this period we also learn that they are slowly starving, as one of the ANGKAR provide Loung with a meager portion of rice and clear broth. Later we also see the father being forced to smuggle two beetles into their 'home' and the carcasses being divided among the family. All of this under the ever watchful eye of the ANGKAR (lights occasionally peer into the slats in the hut).
Without going further, I feel this was definitely worth a watch. Especially if you're interested in the region and it's history.
My one gripe: The film begins with stock footage of Nixon proclaiming the neutrality of Cambodia and the United State's respect and support of their neutrality. This is interspersed with bombs being dropped, explosions, deceased civilians etc. So sets the mood for the film...the United States created the Khmer Rouge and is to blame for subsequent actions. This is patently false from a historical perspective and I feel it was disingenuous to infer at the beginning and through numerous points in the film, such as when a farmer claimed the United States bombed his farm and that's why he supported the Khmer Rouge. In reality, Communism was receiving support and was very prevalent in the region LONG before the United States was militarily involved. Some historians claim the bombing campaigns may have boosted numbers marginally, but to repeatedly show us Cambodians claiming they support ANGKAR because of the United States is dishonest (to put it nicely). In fact, most historians concur that the rise of Khmer (politically) can be contributed to the removal of Sihanouk as head of state in 1970.
Just be honest in your representation of history and let the viewer come to his/her own conclusion.
Generally speaking the film did a fantastic job representing the people of Cambodia and their fears as the Khmer Rouge (ANGKAR) forced themselves into power. Mass civilian displacement, labor camps, torture, executions, and property confiscation is all covered through the eyes of a five year old child (daughter of a Lon Nol Captain) and her family.
After some stock footage and the obvious political message is over with, we are taken to (presumably) 1975 Cambodia during the fall of Phnom Penh. After the Khmer Rouge march in, Loung Ung (our young protagonist) and her family are forced out of their family home into the countryside. During the trek they are forced by ANGKAR to forfeit anything deemed 'Western', and their family vehicle is confiscated for the 'greater good' of the movement.
Shortly thereafter, they are interned in a labor camp, forced to remove all color from their clothes, cut their hair, and conform to society under ANGKAR (e.g. everyone is equal, no money...usual communist ideals). In this society no Western medicine is permitted and they are forced to swear allegiance to Angkar. Each night they are grouped up for 're-education' and during one of these events some children note a man used French medicine to treat his child. The man is subsequently removed from the group, chastised, tied to a tree, and tortured (it is implied).
After a number of days in the camp, Loung Ung's elder siblings are removed from the family to aid the cause in separate regions...meaning they were being sent to the 'front lines.'
During these emotional scenes we are shown memories Loung shared with the departed, which really helped drive home the horrors of what was happening in the country.
After the loss of her siblings we come to see the ANGKAR using her and the other children for child labor (gathering water, tending to crops, picking beans etc.). Throughout this period we also learn that they are slowly starving, as one of the ANGKAR provide Loung with a meager portion of rice and clear broth. Later we also see the father being forced to smuggle two beetles into their 'home' and the carcasses being divided among the family. All of this under the ever watchful eye of the ANGKAR (lights occasionally peer into the slats in the hut).
Without going further, I feel this was definitely worth a watch. Especially if you're interested in the region and it's history.
My one gripe: The film begins with stock footage of Nixon proclaiming the neutrality of Cambodia and the United State's respect and support of their neutrality. This is interspersed with bombs being dropped, explosions, deceased civilians etc. So sets the mood for the film...the United States created the Khmer Rouge and is to blame for subsequent actions. This is patently false from a historical perspective and I feel it was disingenuous to infer at the beginning and through numerous points in the film, such as when a farmer claimed the United States bombed his farm and that's why he supported the Khmer Rouge. In reality, Communism was receiving support and was very prevalent in the region LONG before the United States was militarily involved. Some historians claim the bombing campaigns may have boosted numbers marginally, but to repeatedly show us Cambodians claiming they support ANGKAR because of the United States is dishonest (to put it nicely). In fact, most historians concur that the rise of Khmer (politically) can be contributed to the removal of Sihanouk as head of state in 1970.
Just be honest in your representation of history and let the viewer come to his/her own conclusion.