The War Tapes

Deborah Scranton put digvid cameras in the hands of several members of a New Hampshire National Guard Unit deployed to Iraq early in 2004. She then guided their filming of experiences there, reviewing footage fed back via Internet, responding with tips on improving their photography and complementing the content. The Unit stayed in country for 16 months, and was involved in highly dangerous missions, i.e., the invasion of Fallujah in November, 2004, and escorting supply truck convoys here and there. Scranton distilled 900 hours of tapes to yield this 97 minute film that focuses on the experiences of three soldiers.

The footage succeeds in capturing the unpredictability, fear, chaos and ugliness of war. But the scenes that depict these matters make up just part of the film – the most revealing and unique part. Much of the remaining footage is just so-so, not up to the quality seen in professionally shot docs like Gunner Palace or Iraq in Fragments. Still, Scranton's bold experiment, moving beyond freelance or "embedded" photojournalism to the recruitment of soldier-journalists, is a worthwhile effort. My grades: 6.5/10 (low B) (Seen on 10/12/06)

In The War Tapes documentary, Sgt. Zack Bazzi, who speaks Arabic, says in his videotaped section, "A good American will always love his country and be suspicious of his government." Although I usually look for criticism of the Iraqi debacle, this statement isn't a criticism of neocons but a sincere, self-protective code of behavior.

Three National Guardsmen were given cameras in 2004 to film their personal points of view one year after the beginning of the conflict. The result is a mixture of grunt humor, often better than anything scripted, and unsettling danger, where the cry of one narrator, ''This is the most helpless feeling you've ever had,'' rings solidly true as you feel the awful omnipresence of improvised explosive devices but never see them.

Ditto the enemy, whose face is seen only on a mangled body but almost never on the battlefield of the deadly road to the Baghdad airport or the dark streets of Fallujah. There the IED's rule in their phantom terror. The documentary brings to the screen the reality of all war from those who know it best, the foot soldiers.

As in most war films, there must be cuts to grieving or lonesome loved ones stateside, in this case rural New Hampshire. The histrionics of the usual Hollywood melodrama are absent; instead a mother, a wife, and a lover try to deal with the often unclear reasons why these men went to this war and how, upon their return, their relationships can ever return to normal because of the inevitable trauma.

I was pleased, however, to see the three videographers quietly disdain having to play security guards for the civilian contractor KBR, Inc., a subsidiary of Dick Cheney's Halliburton. That these contractors are the ones to profit from the war at the expense of the American people is a fair inference from the soldiers' commentary.

So The War Tapes becomes, to my simultaneous approval and disappointment, not a screed against an unjust war, but a singularly authentic portrait of the troubled heroes who make it work.

I just saw this film at the Tribeca Film Festival and was moved by how compelling it was.

Director Deborah Scranton had an opportunity to become an embedded journalist with a National Guard Unit from New Hampshire deployed to Iraq. She turned down the opportunity, but instead gave cameras to several soldiers who agreed to film their experiences while serving their tour of duty. The images are striking and disturbing. The words of the soldiers are as real and raw as anything I've ever seen. These are men who are facing a deadly enemy every day yet still do their job proudly and professionally. The soldiers do not hold back their views on the war; and those views do differ wildly. Nonetheless, they all believe firmly that no matter the reason why we are there, we must finish the job right. It was also a special treat to watch the audience give them a several minute standing ovation during the Q & A. These are all intelligent and heroic men who sacrifice a great deal. Even more amazing, they reveal their flaws for the camera, and their humanity is even more compelling.

Had the filmmakers merely shown footage of the soldiers, that would have been enough. However, they also took footage of the families during the year these husbands, fathers and sons were gone. The wives, girlfriends and mothers show the viewer that not only are the soldiers sacrificing a great deal, but so are the families. The footage of one mother who escaped a war-torn Lebanon only to see her son go off to war as a volunteer was absolutely heart wrenching. I would challenge anyone not to cry at that scene, and many others. Most movies invoke emotion by a good story or good acting. This story is real and the people are real, and that is what makes it so overwhelmingly powerful.

Honestly, I had expected this film to be an anti-war or Bush-bashing screed but the film is both political and non-political. No matter how one feels about the war, this film will make their views even stronger.

This film deserves critical acclaim. More importantly, this film deserves to be watched by as many people as possible.

The movie reopened some really deep wounds for me. I was in fact one of the guys in Iraq with the unit that filmed this. It is unfortunate that the Executives refused to recognize the unit as a whole. If it weren't for all 180 of us in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 172 Infantry (Mountain), Scranton-Lacy would not have had the opportunity to get this documentary into the theaters. Let's give credit where credit is due. To my "Brothers-In-Arms" A job well done!!!! And yes, I did feel that the movie was great, all I can say is, DOWN WITH THE MEDIA!!!! They can't report the news, even when their lives depend on it. Here is to the TRUE heroes of the Military!

I think it was a mistake to put somebody like him on the movie. Producers probably wanted to invest a difference in opinions by letting him in, but if so they happened to be completely off the mark. Was it so hard to find a soldier who is really taking hard deaths of American soldiers (and\or Iraqi civilians) and, although performing his duty, opposes war and therefore Bush? Instead of that they found an unprincipled egoist, whom i cant recall expressing any hard feelings to fallen soldiers or suffering civilians throughout the movie. All he needs there is a combat (his words). He has a respect for insurgents (again nearly a quote). Why? He explains: because situation is no different as if Canada invaded US to overthrow Bush and Americans start defending their country. He missed here all which differ free society from despotism, where despot constantly committing genocide towards controlled population. He missed that considerable part of insurgents are not Iraqi nationals and has no "country-defending" goals. But more important than all he missed that insurgents generally are barbarians who has not a smallest respect for life (including their fellow countrymen), and constantly performing deliberate mass killings of innocent civilians. Could anyone who has a slightest moral feelings miss this last point and therefore feel respect to these maniacs? Not a chance.

All in all the only ones who can appreciate Zack Bazzi's part of movie i guess are those who made hatred to Bush (or to USA for foreigners)their religion, which far surpass any moral or sense of reality. However the major part of the film make it really worth watching.