Introduction

Courage Under Fire is a 1996 American war drama film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan.

It is the second collaboration between Washington and director Zwick.

Outline

While serving in the Persian Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Serling accidentally destroys one of his own tanks during a confusing nighttime battle, killing his friend, Captain Boylar. The United States Army covers up the details and transfers Serling to a desk job.

Later, Serling is assigned to determine if Captain Karen Emma Walden should be the first woman to receive (posthumously) the Medal of Honour. She was the commander of a Medevac Huey helicopter sent to rescue the crew of a shot-down Black Hawk helicopter. When Walden encountered a T-54 enemy tank, her crew destroyed it by dropping a fuel bladder onto the tank and igniting it with a flare gun. However, her own helicopter was shot down soon after. The two crews were unable to join forces, and when the survivors were rescued the next day, Walden was reported dead.

Serling notices inconsistencies among the testimonies of Walden’s crew. Specialist Andrew Ilario, the medic, praises Walden strongly. However, Staff Sergeant John Monfriez claims that Walden was a coward and that he led the crew in combat and improvised the fuel bladder weapon. Sergeant Altameyer, who is dying in a hospital, complains about a fire. Warrant Officer One Rady, the co-pilot, was injured early on and unconscious throughout. Furthermore, the crew of the Black Hawk claim that they heard firing from an M16, but Ilario and Monfriez claim it was out of ammo.

Serling is under pressure from the White House and his commander, Brigadier General Hershberg, to wrap things up quickly. To prevent another cover-up, Serling leaks the story to newspaper reporter Tony Gartner. When Serling grills Monfriez during a car ride, Monfriez forces him to get out of the vehicle at gunpoint, then commits suicide by driving into an oncoming train.

Serling tracks Ilario down, and Ilario finally tells him the truth. Monfriez wanted to flee, which would mean abandoning Rady. When Walden refused, he pulled a gun on her and Walden threatened him with a court martial for mutiny. Walden then shot an enemy who suddenly appeared behind Monfriez, but Monfriez thought Walden was firing at him and shot her in the stomach, before backing off. The next morning, the enemy attacked again as a rescue party approached. Walden covered her men’s retreat, firing an M16. However, Monfriez told the rescuers that Walden was dead, so they left without her. Napalm was then dropped on the entire area. Altameyer tried to expose Monfriez’s lie at the time, but was too injured to speak, and Ilario remained silent, scared of the court-martial Walden had threatened them with.

Serling presents his final report to Hershberg. Walden’s young daughter receives the Medal of Honour at a White House ceremony. Later, Serling tells the truth to the Boylars about the manner of their son’s death and says he cannot ask for forgiveness. The Boylars forgive him and tell him he must release his burden at some point.

In the last moments, Serling has a flashback of when he was standing by Boylar’s destroyed tank and a medevac Huey was lifting off with his friend’s body. Serling suddenly realises Walden was the pilot.

Cast

• Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling
• Meg Ryan as Captain Karen Emma Walden
• Lou Diamond Phillips as Staff Sergeant John Monfriez
• Matt Damon as Specialist Andrew Ilario
• Bronson Pinchot as Bruno, a White House aide
• Seth Gilliam as Sergeant Steven Altameyer
• Regina Taylor as Meredith Serling
• Michael Moriarty as Brigadier General Hershberg
• Željko Ivanek as Captain Ben Banacek
• Scott Glenn as Tony Gartner, a Washington Post reporter and Vietnam veteran
• Tim Guinee as Warrant Officer One A. Rady
• Tim Ransom as Captain Boylar
• Sean Astin as Private Patella
• Ned Vaughn as First Lieutenant Chelli
• Sean Patrick Thomas as Sergeant Thompson
• Manny Pérez as Jenkins
• Ken Jenkins as Joel Walden
• Kathleen Widdoes as Geraldine Walden
• Christina Stojanovich as Anne Marie Walden
• Tom Schanley as Questioner
• Korey Coleman as Radio operator
• David McSwain as Sergeant Egan

Members of the Corps of Cadets of Texas A&M University were cast as soldiers in the basic training scenes.

Release

Box Office

• US domestic gross: US$ 59,031,057
• International: $41,829,761
• Worldwide gross: $100,860,818
• The film opened #3 at the box office behind Independence Day and Phenomenon.

Accolades

Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Actor at the 1996 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, but lost to Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade.

Historical Context

The Medal of Honour was awarded to Mary Edwards Walker, an American Civil War physician, but not for valour in combat. Walker’s award was revoked in 1917, then restored in 1977.

Trivia

• In order to lose the required amount of weight for the present-day scenes, Matt Damon went on a strict regimen of food deprivation and physical training (losing about 40 lbs).
  • This caused his health to become so frail that he was put on medical supervision for several months after the shoot.
  • However, his efforts didn’t go unnoticed: director Francis Ford Coppola was so impressed by Damon’s display of method acting that he offered him the leading role in The Rainmaker (1997).
  • While making Good Will Hunting (1997), after regaining his healthy weight, Damon met Steven Spielberg (who was then casting Saving Private Ryan (1998)).
  • Spielberg told Damon that he had loved his performance in this movie and had wanted to hire him to play Private Ryan, but was afraid that Damon was too skinny.
  • Once Spielberg saw Damon at his normal weight, he hired him for Ryan.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Edward Zwick
• Producer(s):
  • Joseph M. Caracciolo … executive producer
  • Debra Martin Chase … executive producer
  • John Davis … producer
  • David T. Friendly … producer
  • Paul Neesan … co-producer
  • Joseph Singer … producer (as Joseph M. Singer)
• Writer(s):
  • Patrick Sheane Duncan … (written by)
• Music:
  • James Horner
• Cinematography:
  • Roger Deakins … director of photography
• Editing:
  • Steven Rosenblum
• Production:
  • Fox 2000 Pictures (presents)
  • Davis Entertainment
  • Joseph M. Singer Entertainment (Joseph M. Singer)
  • Sprockets Music (Automatic Dialog Replacement)
• Distributor(s):
  • Twentieth Century Fox (United States, 1996)(theatrical)
• Release Date: 12 July 1996 (Canada and US).
• Running time: 116 minutes.
• Rating: 15.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)