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The Killing Fields
Killing Fields, The (1984)...Jon Swain
Plot Synopsis: Julian plays another photographer - a trend? - this time in the middle of war-torn Cambodia - a very moving film about a group of foreign journalists and their friendship with a Cambodian journalist who gets left behind to endure the worst of the country's upheaval alone when the foreigners are forced to evacuate.
Review: a great film, with or without Julian, but we got lucky when they chose him to play the young, enthusiastic British photo-journalist. In watching this film, the first thing that always strikes me is how young he looks. Despite hardly having aged in the last 15 years, it's obvious that this is a 26 year old, with a lot still to learn about himself and the world. But even in the short course of the film, we see him starting to learn, and by the end, we can see the beginnings of a serious, thoughtful man who's been changed by his experience in war-torn Cambodia.
One
of the things I found most interesting is the unusual decision by
the director and cinematographer to use Julian as a way of moving the
scene visually, particularly when there's a long panning shot
involved. The action moves across the frame until Julian is in it,
and as he crosses the frame, the camera moves with him, taking us
along. It's a clever way to use a handsome young actor with the
brightness and passion he so clearly exudes, as your eye can't help
but follow him. (That can also be a hindrance when you're not
supposed to be the visual focus of the scene, which is, in my
opinion, one of the reasons he's both under-used and under-appreciated
by many directors. Mike Figgis seems to be one of the few directors
aside from Merchant & Ivory who have really used Julian to his
and their best advantage.)
Availability: available for rental at many video stores, and sometimes available for sale.