Casualties of War
During the Vietnam war, a girl is taken from her village by five American soldiers. Four of the soldiers rape her, but the fifth refuses. The young girl is killed. The fifth soldier is determined that justice will be done. The film is more about the realities of war, rather than this single event.
The film disappointed at the box office against its respectable budget of $22.5M, earning $18.7M globally (-17% loss).
1 win & 5 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Casualties of War (1989) exemplifies meticulously timed story structure, characteristic of Brian De Palma's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 53 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Pfc. Max Eriksson
Sgt. Tony Meserve
Cpl. Thomas E. Clark
Pfc. Herbert Hatcher
Pfc. Antonio Diaz
Pfc. Brownie
Oanh
Main Cast & Characters
Pfc. Max Eriksson
Played by Michael J. Fox
A young private who witnesses his squad kidnap and assault a Vietnamese girl, and struggles with his moral duty to report the crime.
Sgt. Tony Meserve
Played by Sean Penn
The squad leader who orchestrates the kidnapping and assault of a Vietnamese girl, believing it will boost morale.
Cpl. Thomas E. Clark
Played by Don Harvey
A conflicted soldier who initially resists but ultimately participates in the crimes under Meserve's influence.
Pfc. Herbert Hatcher
Played by John C. Reilly
A soldier who willingly participates in the assault, showing little remorse for his actions.
Pfc. Antonio Diaz
Played by John Leguizamo
The youngest member of the squad who is coerced into participating in the assault.
Pfc. Brownie
Played by Erik King
Eriksson's friend who is killed early in the film, serving as a catalyst for Meserve's subsequent actions.
Oanh
Played by Thuy Thu Le
The Vietnamese girl who is kidnapped and victimized by Meserve's squad.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Eriksson on a San Francisco train sees a Vietnamese woman, triggering traumatic memories of Vietnam. He appears haunted, unable to escape his past despite returning to civilian life.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Brownie, a well-liked squad member, is killed when his foxhole collapses. Meserve is devastated and enraged, losing his emotional anchor and descending into a desire for revenge against all Vietnamese.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The squad abducts Oanh, a young Vietnamese woman, from her village. Eriksson participates in the mission but refuses to participate in the rape, crossing into a moral nightmare where he must choose between loyalty and conscience., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat During a firefight with VC forces, Meserve decides they must kill Oanh to eliminate the evidence. Despite Eriksson's desperate protests, the squad stabs and shoots her to death. Eriksson's hope of saving her is destroyed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 85 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Meserve and his men attempt to kill Eriksson by calling in coordinates on his position during a mission, framing it as an accident. Eriksson survives but realizes the full extent of the danger and moral corruption surrounding him., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. The court-martial proceedings unfold. Eriksson testifies against his former squadmates despite threats and intimidation. Meserve, Clark, and Hatcher are convicted and sentenced to prison, though the sentences are relatively light. Justice is partial but real., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Casualties of War's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Casualties of War against these established plot points, we can identify how Brian De Palma utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Casualties of War within the action genre.
Brian De Palma's Structural Approach
Among the 17 Brian De Palma films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.7, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Casualties of War represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Brian De Palma filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Brian De Palma analyses, see Blow Out, Snake Eyes and Mission to Mars.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Eriksson on a San Francisco train sees a Vietnamese woman, triggering traumatic memories of Vietnam. He appears haunted, unable to escape his past despite returning to civilian life.
Theme
During a firefight, Clark tells Eriksson, "You just gotta get used to it," referring to the horror of war. This introduces the film's central question: do you adapt to evil or resist it?
Worldbuilding
Eriksson integrates into his squad in Vietnam. We see the dynamics between soldiers, the constant danger, and Eriksson's moral compass as he saves a wounded VC. His squad, especially Meserve, is established as battle-hardened but increasingly dehumanized.
Disruption
Brownie, a well-liked squad member, is killed when his foxhole collapses. Meserve is devastated and enraged, losing his emotional anchor and descending into a desire for revenge against all Vietnamese.
Resistance
Meserve proposes kidnapping a Vietnamese girl for the squad to rape during their upcoming long-range reconnaissance. Eriksson is horrified and resists, but the plan moves forward with command's tacit approval of R&R in a village.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The squad abducts Oanh, a young Vietnamese woman, from her village. Eriksson participates in the mission but refuses to participate in the rape, crossing into a moral nightmare where he must choose between loyalty and conscience.
Mirror World
Eriksson stands guard while his squadmates rape Oanh. His relationship with the victim represents the moral clarity he must maintain—she becomes the embodiment of innocence he's sworn to protect, contrasting with his squad's depravity.
Premise
The squad continues their mission with Oanh as captive. Eriksson tries to protect her and find ways to free her, while facing increasing hostility from Meserve and the others. The tension between duty to the squad and moral duty escalates with each brutal act.
Midpoint
During a firefight with VC forces, Meserve decides they must kill Oanh to eliminate the evidence. Despite Eriksson's desperate protests, the squad stabs and shoots her to death. Eriksson's hope of saving her is destroyed.
Opposition
Eriksson attempts to report the crime but faces institutional resistance. His commanders downplay it, his fellow soldiers threaten him, and he's isolated as a traitor. The system works against him at every turn, protecting the perpetrators.
Collapse
Meserve and his men attempt to kill Eriksson by calling in coordinates on his position during a mission, framing it as an accident. Eriksson survives but realizes the full extent of the danger and moral corruption surrounding him.
Crisis
Eriksson struggles with despair and the futility of seeking justice in a system designed to protect itself. He confronts the darkness of having witnessed ultimate evil and being powerless to stop it, questioning whether speaking up was worth the cost.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The court-martial proceedings unfold. Eriksson testifies against his former squadmates despite threats and intimidation. Meserve, Clark, and Hatcher are convicted and sentenced to prison, though the sentences are relatively light. Justice is partial but real.