Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Killing Fields

  • 1984
  • R
  • 2h 21m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
61K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,655
207
Sam Waterston in The Killing Fields (1984)
Home Video Trailer from Lionsgate
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
99+ Photos
BiographyDramaHistoryWar

A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's bloody Year Zero cleansing campaign.A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's bloody Year Zero cleansing campaign.A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's bloody Year Zero cleansing campaign.

  • Director
    • Roland Joffé
  • Writer
    • Bruce Robinson
  • Stars
    • Sam Waterston
    • Haing S. Ngor
    • John Malkovich
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    61K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,655
    207
    • Director
      • Roland Joffé
    • Writer
      • Bruce Robinson
    • Stars
      • Sam Waterston
      • Haing S. Ngor
      • John Malkovich
    • 246User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 28 wins & 24 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Killing Fields
    Trailer 2:27
    The Killing Fields

    Photos122

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 115
    View Poster

    Top cast31

    Edit
    Sam Waterston
    Sam Waterston
    • Sydney Schanberg
    Haing S. Ngor
    Haing S. Ngor
    • Dith Pran
    • (as Dr. Haing S Ngor)
    John Malkovich
    John Malkovich
    • Al Rockoff
    Julian Sands
    Julian Sands
    • Jon Swain
    Craig T. Nelson
    Craig T. Nelson
    • Military Attaché
    Spalding Gray
    Spalding Gray
    • U.S. Consul
    Bill Paterson
    Bill Paterson
    • Dr. MacEntire
    Athol Fugard
    Athol Fugard
    • Dr. Sundesval
    Graham Kennedy
    Graham Kennedy
    • Dougal
    Katherine Krapum Chey
    • Ser Moeum (Pran's Wife)
    Oliver Pierpaoli
    • Titony (Pran's Son)
    Edward Entero Chey
    • Sarun
    Tom Bird
    • U.S. Military Advisor
    Monirak Sisowath
    • Phat (K.R. Leader 2nd Village)
    Lambool Dtangpaibool
    • Phat's Son
    Ira Wheeler
    • Ambassador Wade
    David Henry
    • France
    Patrick Malahide
    Patrick Malahide
    • Morgan
    • Director
      • Roland Joffé
    • Writer
      • Bruce Robinson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Mission
    7.4
    The Mission
    A Passage to India
    7.3
    A Passage to India
    Places in the Heart
    7.4
    Places in the Heart
    The Right Stuff
    7.8
    The Right Stuff
    Mississippi Burning
    7.8
    Mississippi Burning
    Birdy
    7.2
    Birdy
    Born on the Fourth of July
    7.2
    Born on the Fourth of July
    The Great Hunger
    The Great Hunger
    The Guns of Navarone
    7.5
    The Guns of Navarone
    The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor
    7.4
    The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor
    Killing Fields
    7.5
    Killing Fields
    My Left Foot
    7.8
    My Left Foot

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In real life, Haing S. Ngor's wife died under the Khmer Rouge regime, haemorrhaging during childbirth (the baby also died). She knew that she couldn't contact her husband as doctors were all being murdered by the regime so by keeping her silence and dying of internal bleeding, she effectively saved his life.
    • Goofs
      When Schanberg and Dith visit the city of Neak Leung (which had just been accidentally hit by a B-52 strike) a group of Cambodian National Army operatives rush into town in a jeep. The song "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney and Wings is blaring, supposedly from a radio on the jeep. While the scene was to have taken place in May, 1973, the song "Band on the Run" was not released until 1974.
    • Quotes

      [last lines - at their reunion, with warm smiles]

      Sydney Schanberg: You forgive me?

      Dith Pran: Nothing to forgive, Sydney. Nothing.

    • Connections
      Featured in Omnibus: The Killing Fields (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Imagine
      Written by John Lennon (uncredited)
      Performed by John Lennon & The The Plastic Ono Band (uncredited)
      Courtesy of EMI Records Limited

    User reviews246

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10

    All-time, no-holds-barred, 100% favourite

    I can't put my finger on exactly what it is about this film that gets to me so much, but it is THE most haunting, emotional film experience... and I've only ever seen it on video.

    Excellent performances from Waterston, Ngor and Malkovich. A brilliant score by Mike Oldfield. Scenes of high emotion, tension, drama, horror and even one or two pieces of light relief (well, it has got Australia's Graham Kennedy of comedy fame).

    The stand-out scenes for mine are those in the French Embassy; I can never watch the final scene from this sequence with a dry eye.

    An excellent film and the soundtrack is not a bad investment either.
    • Bildo36
    • Mar 29, 1999
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ32

    • How long is The Killing Fields?Powered by Alexa
    • Why did the picture of Pran in the fake passport fade? Why did Al and Jon have such a difficult time producing a photo of Pran?
    • What are/were the killing fields?
    • There are flashes of blue amongst the remains of the victims in the killing fields - what are those blue objects?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Central Khmer
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • The Killing Fields - Schreiendes Land
    • Filming locations
      • Phuket, Thailand
    • Production companies
      • Goldcrest Films International
      • International Film Investors
      • Enigma Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $14,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $34,700,291
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $32,181
      • Nov 4, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $34,700,291
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Sam Waterston in The Killing Fields (1984)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to The Killing Fields (1984) in Mexico?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.