| | | "Blu-Ray Disc, Beyond High Definition."
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, French, Spanish, Dubbed, Subtitled
When Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is asked to review the postumous candidacy of the first woman (Meg Ryan) to receive a Medal of Honor, he finds himself plunged into an apparent cover-up surrounding the actions that led to her death. As he struggles to uncover the truth, he also finds himself forced to confront his own tormenting demons. Matt Damon co-stars in this powerful and provocative drama.
"...honors its subjects and audience." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"A downright entertaining combo of mystery, melodrama and action adventure." Rita Kempley, Washington Post
"...a grown-up film that is worth saluting." Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
Editor's Note
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.
Plot Summary
Assigned to investigate and approve a killed-in-action helicopter pilot's candidacy to become the first female recipient of the congressional medal of honor, a disillusioned former Gulf War officer finds inconsistencies in the stories told by the late pilot's crew.
| Features | Audio Commentary By Director Edward Zwick | | Audio: English DTS HD 5.1 Surround Sound | | Audio: French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | D-Box Motion Sensor Track | | Dubbed: French, Spanish | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: French, Spanish | | This Is A Blu-Ray DVD Made For Blue-Laser Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture And Sound | | Trivia Track |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 4/14/2009 |
| Running Time: 116 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1996 | | Catalog ID: 2241427 | | UPC: 00024543414278 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Winner (1997) | | | Image Award, Denzel Washington, Outstanding Lead Actor In A Motion Picture | |
Nominee (1997) | | | Image Award, Courage Under Fire, Outstanding Motion Picture | | | Image Award, Regina Taylor, Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Motion Picture |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...Denzel Washington is a potent actor in peak form....COURAGE UNDER FIRE honors its subject and its audience..." 08/08/1996 p.68USA Today
"...Thoughtful. Intelligent. Moving. Provocative..." -- 4 out of 4 stars 07/12/1996 p.1D Entertainment Weekly
"...[Washington gives a] haunted, nearly implosive performance." -- Rating: B 08/09/1996 p.44 Variety
"...A carefully conceived, dramatically honorable picture that treats its subject with clarity and intelligence..." 06/24/1996 Los Angeles Times
"...Intelligent, involving and serious....Lou Diamond Phillips gives an intense, focused performance..." 07/12/1996 p.F1 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Zwick's direction handles the many conflicting story possibilities with great clarity..." 07/12/1996 p.31 ReelViews 10 of 10
It's often said that if you're going to borrow, borrow from the best. And, in motion pictures, one of the best is certainly Akira Kurosawa. His The Seven Samurai was remade as John Sturges' immensely popular The Magnificent Seven. His The Hidden Fortress inspired George Lucas' epic Star Wars. And now, the premise of 1950's Rashomon has been re-worked by director Edward Zwick and screenwriter Patrick Sheane Duncan for Courage Under Fire, a powerful and intelligent examination of the consequences of guilt and responsibility, and the meaning of absolute truth. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Washington's role is the central one, and he handles it well, playing a man who sticks to procedure and self-discipline even in the midst of emotional chaos (before the tank battle, he leads his men in prayer, and then adds, ``Now let's kill 'em all!''). Meg Ryan's role is a different kind of challenge: In the flashbacks through the eyes of her men, she is seen in three or four entirely different styles of behavior...Zwick's direction handles the many conflicting story possibilities with great clarity. And the opening sequence, involving the mistaken tank attack, makes it clear how confusing battle is, and how differently it will be perceived by each participant. The end of the film understandably lays on the emotion a little heavily, but until then ``Courage Under Fire'' has been a fascinating emotional and logistical puzzle--almost a courtroom movie, with the desert as the courtroom. - Roger Ebert
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