Courage Under Fire
| Courage Under Fire | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Edward Zwick |
| Produced by |
John Davis Joseph M. Singer David T. Friendly |
| Written by | Patrick Sheane Duncan |
| Starring | |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Edited by | Steven Rosenblum |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
|
Release date
|
July 12, 1996 |
|
Running time
|
117 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $46 million |
| Box office | $100,860,818 |
Courage Under Fire is a 1996 American war film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. It is the second collaboration between Denzel Washington and director Edward Zwick. The film was released in the United States on July 12, 1996.
While serving in the Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Serling (Denzel Washington) accidentally destroys one of his own tanks during a confusing night-time battle, killing his friend Captain Boylar. The US Army covers up the details and transfers Serling to a desk job.
Later, Serling is assigned to determine if Captain Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan) should be the first woman to receive a (posthumous) Medal of Honor. She was the commander of a Medevac Huey that was sent to rescue the crew of a shot-down Black Hawk. When she encountered a T-54, 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 on the next day, when further rescue arrived, Walden was reported dead.
Serling notices inconsistencies between the testimonies of Walden's crew. Specialist Andrew Ilario, the medic (Matt Damon), praises Walden heavily. Staff Sergeant John Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillips) claims that Walden was a coward and that Monfriez himself led the crew in combat, and that the fuel bladder technique was originated by him. Sergeant Altameyer, who is dying in a hospital, complains about a fire. Warrant Officer One Rady, the co-pilot, was injured early on and rendered unconscious. Meanwhile, the crew of the Black Hawk claims that they heard firing from an M16, which Ilario and Monfriez deny.
...
Wikipedia