Casualties of War (movie)

Casualties of War is a 1989 war movie about the Vietnam War, starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. It was directed by Brian De Palma.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

An squad of American soldiers has one of its members killed in a village which they believe is helping their Viet Cong enemies. In retaliation, the squad kidnaps a Vietnamese girl to be their sexual slave. During a fire fight, they viciously murder the girl to avoid being discovered by their superiors. After the battle, they cover up the murder. The film is based on a true story.

The film is about how normal moral behavior is discarded during war times and shows it in the extreme when soldiers become savages who can dehumanize innocent by-standers. The film is also about personal responsiblity for maintaining that morality in extreme conditions.