UK (1984): Biography/Drama/War
This harrowing but rewarding 1984 drama concerns the real-life relationship between New York Times reporter Sidney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor), the latter left at the mercy of the Khmer Rouge after Schanberg -- who chose to stay after American evacuation but was booted out -- failed to get him safe passage. Filmmaker Roland Joffé, previously a documentarist, made his feature debut with this account of Dith's rocky survival in the ensuing madness of the Khmer Rouge's genocidal campaign. The script spends some time with Schanberg's feelings of guilt after the fact, but most of the movie is a shattering re-creation of hell on Earth. The late Haing S. Ngor -- a real-life doctor who had never acted before and who lived through the events depicted by Joffé -- is outstanding, and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The cast also features John Malkovich, Julian Sands, Craig T. Nelson, Spalding Gray and Athol Fugard. (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)
7 nominations, 3 Awards
· Supporting Actor 1984: Haing S. Ngor
· Cinematography 1984: Chris Menges
· Film Editing 1984: Jim Clark
· Best Picture 1984: David Puttnam - Producer (Goldcrest/International Film Investors, Warner Bros.)
· Actor 1984: Sam Waterston
· Directing 1984: Roland Joffe
· Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium) 1984: Bruce Robinson
