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Courage Under Fire Details

1996 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 4858 members

Following the 1991 Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is assigned to review the background of the late Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan), who has been posthumously nominated for a medal of honor. While investigating Walden's candidacy, Serling is forced to face his own disillusionment and guilt .. Read more

Starring Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty
Director Edward Zwick
Genres Drama

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Courage Under Fire

Following the 1991 Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is assigned to review the background of the late Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan), who has been posthumously nominated for a medal of honor. While investigating Walden's candidacy, Serling is forced to face his own disillusionment and guilt surrounding the war. As he begins the interviewing process, he uncovers several inconsistencies in the stories told by the late pilot's crew. The three officers, who may or may not have been saved by the captain's actions, all give drastically different accounts of the events leading up to Walden's death. Ilario (Matt Damon) paints Walden as an unselfish, courageous hero, while the surly Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillips) describes her as a crybaby and a coward. The third soldier, Altameyer (Seth Gilliam), lies dying in an army hospital, mumbling guilty confessions in a medicated haze. Similar to the storytelling technique used in Akira Kurosawa's RASHOMON, director Edward Zwick's COURAGE UNDER FIRE features each officer's account of the fateful incident reenacted onscreen, offering wildly diverse portrayals of Walden. Meg Ryan shines in a role that demands she play one character a multitude of ways. As Serling pieces together the radically different tales of combat, he uncovers the painful truth and simultaneously faces his own pent-up guilt regarding the war.

Starring Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Seth Gilliam
Director Edward Zwick
Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 52 mins
Blu-ray: 1 hr 52 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Collections 100 Feisty Females
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Blu-ray: English
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
Released DVD: 13 May 2004
Blu-ray: 09 Apr 2007
Production year: 1996
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (6) of Courage Under Fire

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    In this rather self important Gulf War drama, Meg Ryan plays a pilot due to get a posthumous medal for bravery, but has there been a cover-up of the real events? Were those brave American soldiers in the Iraqi desert killed by “friendly fire”? This is a Rashomon for the 1990s, with Gulf War hero Denzel Washington searching for the truth and, naturally, a Washington Post reporter sniffing around as well. The subject matter, the strong performances from Washington and Scott Glenn, and stylish direction from Edward Zwick — who directed Washington in Glory — combine to make this seem more incisive than it really is. Ultimately, it looks good, sounds noble but rings a bit hollow.

    • Radio Times
  • 1 stars out of 4

    A film that begins as a complex investigation into behaviour in wartime but ends as a straightforward flag-waving exercise.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Courage Under Fire

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    blinding performance

    excellent acting, excellent story, top class movie, good twists keeps you guessing .worth getting this one.

      • A customer from isle of wight
  • Most recent members' review of Courage Under Fire

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  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    How true

    Quite amazing really that Hollywood showed the real intelligence of the US armed forces. In the opening sequence we see Denzel Washington giving the order to fire on a tank which later turns out to be one of his own. In real life this would most likely have been a british tank as the yanks have had a habit of killing us in recent conflicts.

    This aside, quite an enjoyable film really.

      • A customer from Kent
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Rating breakdown

4,858 Member ratings
  • 100
190
  • 90
228
  • 80
751
  • 70
973
  • 60
1,441
  • 50
602
  • 40
354
  • 30
171
  • 20
107
  • 10
41

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