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Courage Under Fire
1996 116 min United States of America R 16+
★7.1
Drama, Thriller, Mystery, War
Director: Edward Zwick
Trailers
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EN
Description
A US Army officer, who made a "friendly fire" mistake that was covered up, has been reassigned to a desk job. He is tasked to investigate a female chopper commander's worthiness to be awarded the Medal of Honor. At first all seems in order. But then he begins to notice inconsistencies between the testimonies of the witnesses...
Budget:
$46M
US Gross:
$59.03M
Worldwide:
$100.9M
Starring
Denzel Washington
Actor
Meg Ryan
Actor
Lou Diamond Phillips
Actor
Awards
9 wins & 7 nominations total
Key opinion
Courage Under Fire is a competent military-detective drama that succeeds as an engaging character study, though opinions vary on its depth and patriotic tone. While Denzel Washington’s lead performance and the film's tense atmosphere are widely praised, some critics find the screenplay overly sentimental or reliant on conventional Hollywood tropes.
| Acting | Denzel Washington delivers a powerful, anchoring performance that effectively conveys his character's psychological burden and guilt. | |
| Screenplay | The film functions effectively as a military-themed detective story, using the investigation of the Medal of Honor to explore themes of redemption and hidden truths. | |
| Acting | Meg Ryan’s turn as Captain Karen Walden is frequently highlighted as a surprising and successful dramatic shift for the actress. | |
| Theme | The film’s tone is subject to debate; supporters find it a serious and compelling exploration of war, while detractors view it as overly patriotic or propagandistic. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is viewed as largely solid, though some viewers perceive a noticeable drag in the middle of the narrative. |