24 May 2012

Interesting view into the current war.

This review is from: Restrepo (Amazon Instant Video) I hadn't heard anything about it but decided to rent this movie. This is a "down in the trenches" view of the fight in Afghanistan. It focus on one platoon for their one year deployment. The movie takes a new slant on the war film. I felt like I was suspended by ropes and the filmmakers would intermittently dunk you into the action then rip you out and dunk you again at some point in the future (i.e. there is no narration or storyline per se). There are no real details on any of the brave men (they are all men) fighting for us other than a few small tidbits (one of the soldiers talks briefly about his childhood and growing up in a family that didn't allow guns etc. but for the most part you don't really get to know them as much as you would like). Even the soldiers killed including "Doc" Restrepo, you don't really get any information on. I think it is a unique peek into the life of soldiers in Afghanistan but I was left wanting more (I think they purposefully framed the movie to give you that sneak peak). Overall, I think it is worth watching and would recommend it. It isn't something I would want to buy. It really hit into the emotional toll on these soldiers in a high combat area. I wish them all well.

24 May 2012

Insightful and thought provoking.

I have to say that I was quite impressed with this documentary. It is wonderful to watch a film about such a hard and controversial issue and not feel as though I'm listening to a republican or democrat whining about problems that happen during a war. The film does a fantastic job of piecing together as best as it can a clear picture of life in a combat zone, one of the most frighting places I imagine a journalist can go on earth for a story. I'd recommend that people at the very least give this movie one view. Even if you don't like what you see, it will make you think.

24 May 2012

Brave soldiers in a war with no strategy, and the wrong tactics

True, the soldiers are, to a man, brave, in "Restrepo," which as other reviewers have pointed out is a documentary w/o voice over, but still highly edited, as it covers 15 months of engagement by the US Airborne in the Korengal Valley, a thin eastward jutting spit of land in Afghanistan. The film follows these forces as they are sent in to battle Taliban elements in an extremely rural and traditional area, sparsely populated. Judging from the maps they spend most of their time at around 2200 - 2800 meters.The individual soldiers are quite brave and endure substantial hardships. What is not mentioned is that the locals have been living like this all of their lives, generation after generation. The American soldier can tolerate it for just over a yea. The captain (?) who commands the men is ill-suited for the assignment. His first raid on suspected Taliban ends up killing a number of civilianz, and wounding women and children. And this, in essence, is the real point of the movie. The bravery of some soldiers is wasted as the strategy of the mission is un achievable ("win hearts and minds") and the tactics heavy handed. We feel that the Americans are good guys, but they look pretty bad if you are a local. And a good chunk of the populous is Taliban - the sons, husbands and brothers of the locals. What do the Amerians offer them in return? Jobs? They won't live long if they co-operate with the Americans. Beans and rice when they kill an Afghani elder's cow? That won't get the job done either. In the film we understand as little, and see as little, of the locals as the soldiers do, and I believe that is part of the film maker's purpose. The job the American army is doing in the Korengal is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack with a bulldozer. The outlook is not good. If we want to change the political environment in that part of Afghanistan, we had better be prepared to stay for many decades to come.

23 May 2012

Real battle footage, no hollywood stuff

I rented this from Apple on special promotion, and the movie was about to expire, for some reason I didn't feel much like watching it. Once I played it, from the beginning you see real shooting footage, and camera man is in range of fire. It focuses on group of soliders throughout the film, their battle, and off-battle times. Interviews them after they return home for their perspective. Basically I have never seen something as true before.

hfeldst

23 May 2012

So Emotional

This award winning documentary from Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington is a harrowing journey that puts you smack into a year in the lives and deaths of a platoon of soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. The soldiers are real, the bullets are real and the emotions run high. Credit Mr. Junger and Mr. Hetherington for capturing every moment, whether it be boredom or the middle of a firefight, with unflinching camera work and editing. The film was shot over the course of a year from 2007-2008 in the Korengal Valley, know as "hell on earth" to the soldiers deployed there. The filmmakers avoid any political or outside commentary and concentrate solely on the 15-20 men that make up the unit, that comes to be know as OP Restrepo. (You'll understand the name when you see the film)The only plot device is alternating between headshot interviews of the various men and footage of them going about the daily routine of war. This is a "no holds barred" look at modern warfare in a war that will seemingly never end.

Layne

23 May 2012

Theyd go back in a second!

I recommend you read WAR, then go see this film. It gives us a "glimpse" of their reality. I can never know and can only try to understand. This film will help our understanding.

John

20 May 2012

Powerfully Immersive War Experience

This documentary doesn't push a point of view. It simply chronicles an experience of war in Afghanistan. But there is nothing simple about it. This isn't the most powerful war movie I've seen, but it is probably the most realistic. This is what journalism is about--good old fashioned reporting it "like it is". We the audience add the texture of emotions and analysis.

20 May 2012

Excellent documentary....bewildering impressions

This review is from: Restrepo (DVD) I will not belabor what Restrepo is: that has been established. Nor do I need to reiterate the fact that it is a well executed documentary. What is important concerns what we take from the film.I'll simply state this: there is no strategy or purpose to the forays by the troops, as the Captain in the movie lays out towards the end sequence, the prime motive is to "go out and make the guys who did this [i.e. killed American troops] pay." The problem is, and this is demonstrated very well in the movie, each foray into the valley results in more casualties. So the deaths of American troops become the causal factor in mounting further forays, which result in more casualties. And so the cyclical process continues. What is being gained?Casualties are a necessity of war, but I think we need to seriously reevaluate our collective sanity if we let *taking casualties* become both the impetus and and justification behind our operational doctrine. The film illustrates in painful clarity that there is in fact NO underlying strategic objective in the valley, nothing that the troops are working towards. Establishing "OP Restrepo" is the only tangible objective...as to what the reasoning is behind establishing OPs in a valley where U.S. presence is obviously not desired in the first place is never explained. The Captain is asked at film's end about what enduring legacy remains from the deployment, and his answer is in "building Restrepo." So once again, a tactical accomplishment is underlined as being proof of the efficacy of some nebulous strategy, which tactics are supposed to be subordinate to in the first place. It would be akin to reading All Quiet on the Western Front and saying World War I was justified and all the characters were "Heroes" because from time to time they took trenches from the enemy.I think this is perhaps the strongest aspect of the film: it is made undeniably evident that the strategic logic behind the venture in Afghanistan is absent. If it is not absent, then no one in the film was able to articulate it, at least among the officers. Having said that, I feel the film would have been stronger if the enlisted men had been asked as to what they thought they were achieving by manning OP Restrepo. We never hear such sentiments, and I wonder if is because no one felt inclined to answer, or that the question was simply never posed.We are shown some insight as to the 'winning of hearts and minds,' which consist of the Captain meeting weekly with local elders. According to this film, the extent to our communications with such elders is that we can "make them richer" by "giving [them] jobs." Again, if people do not find the fact that this is the extent to which our strategem of nation building in built upon I am gravely worried for the future.If people watch this film, and still persist in deluding themselves that this is a justifiable war, then the strongest lesson we can take from Restrepo is that societal-wide indoctrination and statist group-think trump reality, even when that reality is presented in living color as "war, full stop."

18 May 2012

restrepo

This review is from: Restrepo (DVD) loved the movie i love documentarys love stories about whats real in the world good movie recommend very much

18 May 2012

6 minutes a month

This review is from: Restrepo (DVD) I did not serve here, my involvement was in an earlier war in a different place. The film does give a great feeling for the terrain. If it gives an accurate presentation of the life of a soldier is up to soldiers who were there to decide. Keep in mind that the 15 months is edited down to just over 6 minutes of video per month of activity. This in itself can shift the perception of what went on, and is a built in bias in this type of work. Also it is much easier for the camera to get good shots of time at the base camp then when out patroling, and the camera is never out on point (that is just the way it is). I believe some background or added comment about the area and forces involved would have greatly added to the overall effectiveness of this film (of course depending how it was done).

17 May 2012

Review from an Infantry veteran

Like it or not, this documentary should receive 5 stars simply for the fact of WHAT the documentary was about. This video is SPOT-ON exactly how life is on and off a FOB/COP. Lots of brotherly b.s.-ing, but also lots of hard work being put in. Good times (considering) and bad times (obviously). This video has plenty of re-watch value, hence the reason I bought it, for me it's kind of a way to stay connected with what used to be in my life. For those looking for an authentic view of life "over there", this is it. These are Army Infantry Soldiers in Afghanistan. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry in Iraq ('06,'07,'08) but I was amazed at how the lingo/terminology/jargon, mentality of the Soldiers, camaraderie showed uncanny similarities to that of the Marine Corps line platoons.

16 May 2012

Excellent!

This review is from: Restrepo (Amazon Instant Video) Can't really say it was enjoyable to watch, but i wish movies like this were made from the beginning of the war...So much more to say... However, since America and so many other countries keep stepping on this same kind of rake generation after generation, place after place, and wasting yet another group of young people, i think it's all been said many times before...Thank you for showing this.

14 May 2012

Poor sales description

This review is from: Restrepo (Amazon Instant Video) The video is a great piece of work. So is Amazon. They did not make it clear that the video could not be downloaded to a MAC until AFTER I purchased it. This is something that should be clearly, largely and prominently displayed so one could make an informed buy. This is the 21 century, get with the program. At least let us know up front.I hate to rate the video poorly but I wanted to raise the awareness of those that would be trapped like I was.

Susan

14 May 2012

Viet Nam Redux?

Did we not learn anything from Viet Nam? My conclusion after seeing this movie last night is that the US and its Allies may be winning the battles in Afghanistan, but we're losing the war. What a waste of money and lives. There must be a better way to protect ourselves from terrorism.

13 May 2012

Personal view of the war in Afghanistan

I found this documentary on the experience of a group of soldiers in Afghanistan a bit slow. But it is illuminating with regards to how difficult life is for our troops overseas. They live in sub-human conditions and the peril to their lives is constant. What is so frustrating is that despite all these years - it's been a decade now - there really is no end to this conflict and men like Restrepo are being sacrificed for a cause that is very hard to win. That being said, it also shows how brave, resilient, and compassionate our American warriors are. Restrepo is a testament to their endurance.

13 May 2012

RESTREPO

This review is from: Restrepo (DVD) MY HUSBAND IS CURRENTLY SERVING IN AFGHANISTAN AND ASKED ME TO BUY THIS MOVIE SO I COULD SEE, AND GET AN IDEA OF WHATS GOING ON OVER THERE. A MUST SEE MOVIE. I LOOOVED IT AND IM SO GREATFULL IT WAS MADE. IT MADE ME APPRECIATE MY HUSBAND AND ALL THE OTHER MILITARY MEN/WOMEN SERVING OVERSEAS. IT MADE ME PRAY A LITTLE HARDER FOR THEIR SAFETY, AND FOR THEM TO RETURN HOME QUICKER. THANKS SO MUCH

12 May 2012

was recommended to me by an Iraq afghan veteran marine

This review is from: Restrepo [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I asked for a fairly portrayed drama that showed the true side of the soldiers. My friend had just finished a tour in Afghanistan with the Marines, and he was saddened by the cynical soldier stories that hollywood has been putting out. So, I wanted to see a glimpse of what he experienced. When he said "restrepo", I thought he had something caught in his throat. When he explained to me what it meant, I stopped joking. Anyway, the documentary was tight and gripping. It never removed the human element of war. It was neither 'pro' or 'con'. It is simply an excellently done piece. I hope more people watch it, and remember to thank our soldiers for their valor.

12 May 2012

Possibly the last 5-star movie, possibly the only...

I saw RESTREPO last night but still cannot find the words to express how powerful this film is or how moved I am by it. Sebastion Junger is an extraordinary storyteller and I have known this for years but I haven't seen him tell one visually; I've only read it on the page. It is possible that all the work he has done to date has been in service of preparing him to tell THIS story, about THESE GUYS in this time and place..... RESTREPO may very well be the last movie I give 5 stars to in my life, but as you can see by all the reviews here no one has given it any less.This is the story about a bunch of guys who get sent up a hill to dig a hole in the rocks and shale. Who took enemy fire 4-5 times a day in-between digging out that hole. Did I mention that their hill was still at the BOTTOM of the mountains that surrounded it? That the enemy surrounded them on all sides? That the closest help wouldn't EVER be able to reach them in time if they needed it because their closest help was in the very bottom of the valley, surrounded by the mountains that the enemy lived on, dug into caves on those mountainsides? Did I mention that the tour of duty is 15 MONTHS?! That these guys are building an outpost up the hill from the most removed and dangerous outpost in the entire army theater? Well... now I've mentioned it. This story is their story, in their words, from their point of view and a master-craftsman has put the visual record of this story together so that the rest of us can watch it and remember. It's real, it's visceral and you absolutely cannot watch it without being moved. Remember the beginning of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? Well... this is the actual beach landing. I can't imagine what it took for those guys to get up there and film RESTREPO but I'm enormously grateful they were able to do it. It's mesmerizing. Honestly, the best movie/documentary/visual experience I've ever had. The camera work is astonishing in places and it's cut with interviews of guys who lived it. They are the narration. They are the focus. They are everything and it's beautifully put together. I was 10 in 1970 so I grew up watching the war in Viet Nam on the news every night around dinner; but I didn't have the experience or capacity necessary to appreciate what it all really meant. That is no longer the case and my eyes are wide open watching my own heart break. We take too much for granted. We think our lives are meaningful or our problems are overwhelming and maybe that's true maybe it isn't... But we've forgotten who's paying the tab for the life this country offers to it's people. I may be pissed off about partisanship; but the hell with WA DC because that's just a bunch of people doing God knows what for God knows what reason anymore. Meanwhile, the young men and women of this country are on foreign soil defending the ideals of this country and we're not getting ANY OF IT ON THE NEWS! Nobody wants to know about Afghanistan and everybody needs to. This movie should be required viewing for every American over the age of 16. Because it's one thing to say that democracy is a beautiful and valuable thing or that we should be able to offer democracy to any oppressed people on the planet that want it because we believe in it so much. But it's imperative to remember that the reason history keeps repeating itself is because NOBODY PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO IT! Korangol Valley Outpost and OP Restrepo are both mirrors back into some of the things our generation said was learned in Viet Nam... Things about fighting smarter, the use of resources, the reasoning behind decisions. Because at the end of the day, those decisions get played out by real soldiers doing real fighting under horrific conditions. We owe them our respect, our gratitude and the understanding that we won't ask them to do it for nothing. There have been enough Hamburger Hills in enough wars that we REALLY should have learned enough to be better at it by now. As for me? I'm going to order copies of RESTREPO to give as Christmas gifts and I'm going to read the book. I'm also going to personally say "Thank you" to every service person I see. Because RESTREPO is a powerful wake-up call and I don't want to go back to sleep... whatdoya think; can a woman in her 50's get a tatoo to honor the soldiers who continue to fight for my country and beliefs?........You knew this was ALL an opinion right?

09 May 2012

Reality Check

If this movie doesn't make you respect our men and women in uniform, you don't deserve American citizenship. Regardless of your political affiliation, this movie is a gut and reality check. Our servicemen and women are fighting a brutal war in hostile territory, trying to help another culture that cannot even conceive of the benefits we are trying to bring to them. The American and other international military are admirable in their bravery, in their altruism--they are there voluntarily--they were not drafted into the service--and are fighting for freedom for another country and to maintain freedom in ours. If you don't think your freedom is being threatened, then you don't realize that you too are an infidel--the target of radical Islam that is alive and well--not just in the Middle and Far East, but here in the US. Thank you to all our military. We owe you a great deal!

MellowMuslim

09 May 2012

Restrepo and Taliban

Last week, CNN’s Anderson Cooper presented excerpts from “Taliban” documentary while questioning whether the documentary was a propaganda tool for Taliban. He told its producer, Norwegian freelance journalist Paul Refsdal: "Some people will think you're trying to humanize the Taliban.” Refsdal countered that his work "is an important piece of the war.”Like “Restrepo,” another documentary shown few months ago in movie theaters, “Taliban” raised a more important point: how to reconcile between the US fighting a secular war and Taliban fighting a religious oneIn 2009, Refsdal daringly talked a Taliban commander in east Afghanistan into letting him embed with his group. But, during the nine days Refsdal spend waiting for skirmishes, only once did the fighters fire on a far away U.S. military convoy moving along the region's only road. And there was no immediate response, most probably because the convoy was not hit. With no real fighting, the fighters spent most of the time praying, chanting and just fooling around. But, this seemingly eventless part showed how Taliban has been waging a religious war and raised an important question about how to reconcile that with the US secular war. Apparently with the American soldiers in mind, the Taliban fighters chanted:"We have decided to make them cry. We have put on the belt of holy war." The Taliban group leader, Darwan, was accompanied by his 12-year-old son who was carrying a machine gun nearly as large as he was. Refsdal explained to Cooper that Darwan believed that “his son will come to heaven when and if he dies in this war."Dawran himself said: "We fight for our freedom, our religion, our honor and we fight for our land." He questioned the US and its ally’s motives: "For what purpose are they fighting us? … Are they oppressed? Have they been treated unfair? Are they living in a dictatorship?"Refsad told Anderson:"Taliban are like most Muslim insurgents. When they have spare time, they read the Quran. They don't train. From what I could see from the firing they were not very accurate"Restrepo," produced by journalists Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, is about the life of a military platoon whose one-year mission was to build an outpost in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan's most dangerous territory. But, the larger strategic goal became elusive, abstract and, at the end, a complete failure. Last year, two years after the film was shot, the US Commander in Afghanistan ordered a pull out of Korengal.In “Restrepo,” cries of “Allahu Akbar” were heard as the Taliban fighters shoot at the American soldiers or hurl rockets towards them; the “Azan” (Muslims calling for prayer) echoes across the towering mountains five times a day; and “Alhamdulilah”(thanks to God) and “Inshallah” (God willing) sprinkle the Afghanis conversations. During meetings between the platoon’s commander and the Afghan village leaders, religious words and expressions seemed as a contrast to military jargons. During one meeting under a tent, when the Azan called, the village leaders went outside to pray and the few Afghani soldiers accompanying the Americans joined them – leaving the Americans waiting awkwardly or it seemedOn the other side, I don’t think I ever heard so many F-words in one movie, all by the Americans. A review of the movie in “Christianity Today” magazine noted: “Profanity is abundant, including f-bombs and misuse of Christ's name. In one scene, the platoon captain delivers a profanity-ridden motivational speech, and then leads the troops in silent prayer.”Of course, the platoon’s soldiers didn’t have to be religious, to believe in God, to be atheists, to be secular, to have faith, or to have no faith so they could fight courageously and patriotically in Afghanistan. But, I couldn’t but noticed the contrast between the two sides in this important matter of faith and religion. Despite the absence in the movie of any talk about religion and faith on the part of the Americans, Jungar, the co-producer, in a book about the movie, freely wrote about the subject. “Religion gives a man enough courage to face the overwhelming, and there may have been so little religion at Restrepo,” he wrote. Why? He answered: “Because the men didn’t feel particularly overwhelmed. Why appeal to God when you can call in Apache?"