the war tapes

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Roy Hersh
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the war tapes

Post by Roy Hersh »

the war tapes

This is the story told by three men, three American soldiers who went to Iraq packing rifles and each with a video-camera in hand. 800 hours of collective soldier wisdom later, we get to watch their POV. It is fresh, it is raw, it is real and it is delivered on a platter for us to see, in living color.
It is a movie without a mission, which accounts for it being fresh. Although I would assume that they needed to have the Army’s permission and that all of the footage had to be approved, it still comes across with their raw commentary and personal zeal. This ain’t your Saving Private Ryan “realism” though. It is spontaneous and multi-faceted, with action coming before the lens in real time and in many cases, with no prior warning. It feels real, simply, because it is. Fortunately, the images put before us, are done so by mere grunts and not video-journos.

My typical objection when viewing documentaries in general is that the “filmmaker” always has a particular bent, which comes across in various shades of gray – either subtly or in an oft too ham-fisted approach. One aspect that was refreshing about watching the war tapes, (albeit “refreshing” may seem like an odd choice of terms) is that there is no director, per se. Deborah Scranton who actually held that title and role, allowed the three soldiers’ views and camera work to do the vast majority of the “speaking” in this film that never seemed to preach to either side of the choir.

I went in having no expectations beyond my innate cynicism of directorial pandering. Would this be a movie proselytizing to the pro-war minions; would it turn into a WWII-esque propaganda piece used to enlist more innocents; would it put forth predictable turns or views as shown in “Redacted,” “In the Valley of Elah” or Cusak’s recent “War Inc” or would it flame fires being set by anti-war activists? In fact, what I enjoyed most about this film is that there was no political bashing of the right and wrong, left or right, blue vs. red and therefore, the film remained true to itself for that very reason. It was simply a film depicting the action before the camera and the personal utterances of the soldiers, their fellow grunts and immediate family members. You are left on your own to decide the rest.

Gripping without too many grotesque images, though there are certainly some, the camera work by the soldiers offers an honest portrayal of what each day brings before them. The good, the bad and the ugly are explored in real time. Providing their reasons for signing up for duty, glimpses of their basic training and the impact on their loved ones is what the director does best. However, the editing work deserves every bit as much credit as what is captured by the cameramen here. To fashion a film of this ilk, while culling what amounts to more than a full month’s worth of video (24/7) into just an hour and a half of take-no-prisoners action, is one hell of an achievement.

Not for the squeamish, I highly recommend the war tapes for anybody looking to add precision to their own views on what took place in Iraq (circa 2005/2006). It is honest and forthright and will certainly leave an indelible impression on your psyche. We also gain a great perspective of what it is like to walk in these soldier’s boots or ride along inside their Humvee cruising the byways in Iraq and in that way, this film deserved the success and awards received:

* Winner: Tribeca Film Festival – Best Documentary
* Official Selection: Int’l Documentary Film Festival – Amsterdam –
* Winner: BritDoc Festival – Best Documentary
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Kris Henderson
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Re: the war tapes

Post by Kris Henderson »

Roy, I watched this movie the other night because of your review. Like you said, it was refreshing to see just the soldiers stories without any biases of the director getting in the way. It was also very sobering to see first hand accounts of what life is like as a soldier in a war zone. This movie made me feel very grateful to all the brave men and women to have served and are currently serving in the military.
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