Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite War Movie Dubbed ‘The Most Painful’ Is Available on Prime Video

While war movies are always hard to watch, especially when you know they are based on real events that took place decades ago and there are families that have never recovered from their losses, it is an extremely important genre that shows its viewers the horrors and devastation that any military conflict brings.

What makes these films so interesting from an industry perspective is the technical detail, costume and set design, CGI and editing that takes the picture to another level and makes it feel realistic. When amazing storytelling meets great execution, you get masterpieces like Casualties of War.

What Is Casualties of War About?

Directed by Brian De Palma, Casualties of War chronicles the events of the 1966 Hill 192 incident during the Vietnam War, one of many crimes committed by the U.S. Army against Vietnamese civilians. Starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn, the film tells the story through the eyes of a veteran.

The story on which the film is based was first presented in the New Yorker article ‘Casualties of War,’ published in October 1969. Although audiences were aware of this event, the film's powerful storytelling, multiplied by the acting talent of its leads, managed to impress audiences and critics.

With an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is praised for not being afraid to realistically portray the violence and cruelty of the war without being ideological. But if Rotten Tomatoes isn't enough of a source, the film has also been praised by both Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg.

After his private screening, Spielberg called the film great food for thought, while Tarantino was even more gracious in his assessment, even using the film as a source of inspiration for one of his own films.

“My favourite war movie probably is De Palma’s Casualties of War and there’s a scene in here – it happens towards the beginning of the movie – where Sean Penn’s character’s best friend is shot and he’s taking care of him. I really used it when I was doing Reservoir Dogs, not copying it frame by frame or anything but just when I was writing the script emotionally,” he said.

Finding 1989's Casualty of War on the Internet may be tricky, but it is available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video. So if you're interested in learning about one of the best war movies ever made, head over there for your own copy.

Source: Hollywood's Boy Wonder