Body of War - The True Story of an Anti-War Hero
by Phil Donahue, Ellen Spiro
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DVD details
Actor: Tomas YoungDirector: Ellen Spiro, Phil Donahue
Brand: New Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-10-28
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: DOCURAMA
Product features:
- Paralyzed from the chest down after serving in Iraq for just one week, 25-year-old Tomas Young is forced to deal with the realities of war each and every day. For Tomas, learning to cope with his disability meant finding his voice to speak out against the war in Iraq. Directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro and set to the haunting vocals of Eddie Vedder, the multi award-winning BODY OF WAR spl
DVD Reviews of Body of War - The True Story of an Anti-War Hero
DVD Review: Tough, Memorable And Full Of Heart.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Body Of War" is a tough, heartfelt documentary that focuses on those who are directly hit by a government's war policies: The soldiers. Yes, it is true that George W. Bush has left the White House, but Barack Obama is preparing to expand the war in Afghanistan and is reportedly planning to keep up to 50,000 troops in Iraq even after a proposed 19 month pullout. So Americans can expect to continue debating our current status as a country at war. However Tomas Young's story might make a viewer think twice about supporting the continuation of the current war policies.
Young was a young American naturally enraged by the September 11 terrorist attacks, watching Dubya rally the troops from the top of the World Trade Center wreckage, Young's patriotism was awakened and he enlisted in the army. Barely seven days into his service in Iraq, Young was shot and paralyzed. "Body Of War" captures Young's physical and mental struggles, and shows us a veteran returning home to discover that his government basically swindled the country into war, using lies and propaganda to invade Iraq. Like Ron Kovic of "Born On The Fourth Of July," Young joins the antiwar movement and uses his story to spread truth.
Directors Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro have crafted here an interesting document of a dark, divisive time in American history. Without having to resort to the more detailed, grand scale of films like "Why We Fight" or "Fahrenheit 9/11," they capture the human side of the suffering and raging debate the Iraq war has caused. We see the differences in public opinion even in Young's family: His mother has become an intense antiwar protester while his father remains a staunch right-wing Republican, a fan of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Even Young's younger brother signs up and ships out to Iraq. This is fascinating material and even a source of one of the film's weaknesses, that we don't explore these themes more, that they are kept more in the background.
What is kept in focus however, is harrowing. We see Young struggle just to live a daily life, punctuated by pain, fear, anger and sometimes humiliation. The film doesn't just show us Young in a wheelchair, it gives us an in-depth look at how a man in his condition lives, the daily battles he faces even when it comes to sex or something we all take for granted like being able to simply go to the bathroom. There are some powerful moments where Young goes on tour to protest the war, but struggles to speak in public because he has little control over his body temprature.
In a brilliant editing choice, the directors intercut Young's story with the historic Senate vote that gave Bush full authority to invade Iraq. We see a roll call of all the politicians who supported the war, Republican and Democrat (two, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, currently hold major positions of power in the new administration). Here we see how what is approved by those in the corridors of power can have catastrophic consequences for the average citizen. There is also some intercutting of footage showing Bush's massive propaganda about Saddam Hussein and how those in Congress recycled accusations that today would sound hilarious or ridiculous if they hadn't lead to such tragedy.
Is "Body Of War" biased? Absolutely. It is a film full of outrage, the outrage of a young man who decided to serve his country and discovered he was maimed for lies. Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder provides some excellent songs with a beautiful, classic folk bent. "Body Of War" may anger some for its opinions, but they are opinions that not so long ago, were almost dangerous to utter in the United States. In a time of war, who better to listen to than to those who actually fought? Yes, I know, there are other soldiers with a difference of opinion, without a doubt, but this is a film about a soldier who lost a great deal and is angry over what he lost it for. "Body Of War" is a film that truly carries an American spirit.
Description of Body of War - The True Story of an Anti-War Hero
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