Widely regarded and very much deserved to be said as one of the best films around and also the most vital film about the Cambodian genocide, The Killing Fields has been lauded as one of the greatest films of the 80s Its a film I first saw when I was around 14 or 15 years old and impactful then, its still just as impactful now over 40 years later. A film that perhaps isnt talked about as much nowadays as it should its great that the multi-award-winning film is headed back to our screens by the wonderful Second Sight Films as they release Roland Joffé’s historical masterpiece to Limited Edition with a brand new 4K restoration this September.
Based on the extraordinary true story of The New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg and Cambodian journalist and interpreter Dith Pran, the film is set during the Cambodian Civil War and the rise of the Khmer Rouge. Sam Waterston plays Schanberg and Pran is played by Haing S. Ngor in a truly astounding performance made even more powerful as he was a first-time actor and a survivor of the harrowing forced-labour camps. John Malkovich plays as photographer Al Rockoff and Julian Sands as journalist Jon Swain, alongside a stellar supporting cast.
Amid escalating violence Schanberg and Pran report from Phnom Penh, where they start to build a strong bond, despite the terror unfolding around them. But following the fall of the city, foreign nationals are evacuated and as Schanberg leaves the country, Pran must remain where he endures forced-labour camps and bears witness to the mass killings of Pol Pot’s brutal regime.
As Schanberg campaigns tirelessly to find him, Pran begins a perilous struggle for survival and freedom.
The film won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing and eight BAFTAs, including Best Film and Ngor deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The brand new collector’s set is presented in a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, with a slew of special features including brand-new interviews. The Limited Edition is presented in a stunning rigid slipcase with new artwork from by Thinh Dinh and comes with a fascinating 120-page book.
The Killing Fields is a must-see film that not only sheds light on the brutal regime and the devastating human cost of war, but of friendship, journalistic responsibility and survival in the darkest of times.
Special Features on the disc are as follows
A new 4K restoration from the original camera negative
Audio commentary with director Roland Joffé
A Love Story: a new interview with Roland Joffé
Believing in Magic: a new interview with producer David Puttnam
Looking for That Rhythm: a new interview with writer Bruce Robinson
Exchanges of Trust: an interview with actor Julian Sands
Archive interview with David Puttnam
Deleted Scenes
The Killing Fields’ Limited Edition Dual 4K UHD and Blu-ray release on 28 September 2026
