Historicon First of all, let me start by saying 'First They Killed My Father' is not in my opinion as boring as some here have maintained, though this may be due to my long standing interest in the region and subject matter. Even so, the movie is unfortunately marred by factually incorrect anti- US propaganda via the disingenuous citation of the 'US bombing of Cambodia' as the cause of the communist Khmer Rouge ascendancy in Cambodia. I can only guess that foreign pre-sales or investment financing from Euro territories, where this film is likely to have a strong audience, essentially and implicitly 'required' an anti-US position in order to satisfy the mandate of the investors, state cultural bodies, and potential audiences.Film and media agencies in France, for instance, including Unifrance,  Film France, and others have been overtly aggressive over the past decade in re-parsing re-interpreting historical events in Indochina. especially with regard to the Vietnam/Cambodia situation subsequent to the French termination at Dien Bien Phu. Their goal appears to be to distance France from any significant culpability in the Indochinese disaster, extending from Vietnam through the Cambodian tragedy under Pol Pot, Increasingly common is the obligatory citation of the 'US bombing' (usually cited as a lump bogey-man term) as a primary cause of the rise of the Khmer Rouge. See, for instance, that same device being utilized at the introduction of the recent Cambodia-related documentary, 'Don't Think I've Forgotten: The Story of Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll', and others.Though no fan of the massive and tragic US error in Vietnam, I'm aware of few if any serious Cambodia scholars today who would argue that the US air campaign in Cambodia gave rise to the Khmer Rouge regime as a primary cause, especially when compared to more significant factors such as the role of King Sihanouk in cultivating the KR as a fighting force. An even more obvious and traceable cause would be the first exposure of Solath Sar (Pol Pol, leader of the Khmer Rouge) to communism while studying at his Lycee in Paris in the late 40's and early 50's.Aside from this, it's not clear what component of the US/ARVN tactical and strategic and tactical air campaign Ms. Jolie and her French- Cambodian producer, Rithy Panh, are referring to when they cite the US air campaign in Cambodia in the 1970's.It is true that the brief and limited MENU bombings of NVA and Viet Cong border areas was not authorized by Congress, and were therefore illegal (As were the NVA and Viet Cong incursions into Cambodia). But the filmmakers seem to be conflating the MENU operation with non-secret tactical and strategic air strikes called in by Cambodian Armed Forces (FANK) spotters against the mixed KR / NVA combatant forces. Without intervention by air in many cases, Khmer Rouge and NVA main force units would otherwise have shredded the FANK Cambodian Republic armed forces opposing them. It was only the tactical use of B52s against KR and NVA forces which prevented the capture and fall of Phnom Penh as early as 1973, for instance. In other words, without intervention by the same US bombs cited as an accelerant to the KR regime, the Cambodian genocide would otherwise started an additional two years earlier.A more courageous, honest and authentic approach with 'First They Killed my Father' may well have been to undertake and share an objective examination of other greater causes at the time, most notably Cambodian King Sihanouk's role in encouraging the rise of the KR in order to regain his throne. Finally, the involvement of other relevant powers such as China and the Soviet Union in the Indochinese/Cambodian morass would also have been well worthy of discussion.Even more courageous approach would have been to allow the author of the original book, Ms. Ung, to direct the movie herself, which in turn would have validated the movie as a true local Cambodian effort. In any case, 'First They Killed my Father', so promising in its potential, compromises itself from the start and cannot thus be considered on the same rigorous level as 'The Killing Fields'

blumdeluxe "First they killed my father" tells the story of a young Cambodian girl that flees from the Communists alongside her family, which partly worked for the government. On their long way under the new regime, the family gets separated, tortured and killed. The dream of masses of people turns into a nightmare before her eyes, while her world gets turned upside down.What we see in this movie is plainly awful. We see a young child, who doesn't understand what is happening while politics tear her life apart. The production is of high value, even though in my eyes the movie is a bit long and could have been told in fewer time. This girl is exemplary for many destinies throughout this happenings, which makes the film both important, but at the same time prevent a very individual connection to the main characters. In a way it is more a political statement than a blockbuster.All in all this is a movie for those who want to gain more insight into this particular period of history. It is tremendous and horrifying, but it is, unfortunately, not an excellent film.

Leofwine_draca FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER is the high-profile exploration of life under the Khmer Rouge, based on a non-fiction novel and filmed by Angelina Jolie. I found it a somewhat overrated experience that feels overlong and disappointingly mundane, sugar-coating some of the material (this has a happy ending, no less) and toning down all of the violence and depravity that took place in Cambodia in the 1970s. I'm not a gorehound looking for sadistic entertainment, but I did expect something a little more than endless drawn-out scenes of a young girl witnessing death and chaos but somehow always feeling on the outside. There's no real emotional value here, and although the film is very well shot and authentically acted, it just feels like a missed opportunity in comparison to something genuinely powerful like THE KILLING FIELDS.

Motherspot Wow! What a beautiful movie. Jolie totally succeeds in telling this story about suffering humanity in the hands of an insane doctrine. Just about everything is well thought out and directed. The characters are deep and come over as very real. Special credits for the main protagonist, the little girl who acts so convincing and absolutely succeeds in touching our hearts. Camera work is great...And the story is told in the language of the land it plays in. How different is this war story then her work in 'The land of blood & honey'..which was terrible. This film is brought to us in a warm & touching manner...while not emphasizing too much on the brutal murders and killings that where abundant in that period of Cambodian history...I'ts a great story of suffering & survival being told in an utterly convincing way! Chapeau for Angelina's work on this Film.