Review: There are a lot of Iraq/Afghanistan war documentaries out there right now, and a majority of these are political in nature. In fact, there are so many of these films out there it’s clear audiences are getting tired of them and in many cases it’s hard to decipher between the good ones and the also-rans. Body of War, in many ways, is just like all these other films. It’s politically against former President George W. Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the one differentiating quality is its dedication to detailing the life of an injured veteran. The dedication to depicting his daily life is uncomfortable but is something audiences should endure. As political as this film is it does bring an important message to the table: debates and decisions should never forget the daily lives of those affected. Take the most recent wars, everyone hears of the lost lives and wounded veterans, but only close relatives witness how catastrophic the change is to these men and women’s lives. We tend to become desensitized to it all. So much so that we grimace when we watch a wounded soldier like Tomas talk his mom through shoving a tube up his penis to drain the fluid so he doesn’t get a urinary tract infection- and to realize he has to do this several times a day. Obviously the intentions of showing such footage is to remind audiences of the audacity of war, but I think even pro-Iraq/Afghanistan war individuals can take the same lesson away from Body of War: that our decisions have consequences and if you see hope in those consequences then at least you’ve thought them through. Body of War though is clearly an anti-war film. From the main character to his mom to the excellent soundtrack, everything about this documentary is hell-bent on proving its liberal opinion. And in many ways it develops a successful argument. Especially in its depiction of Washington Senators who appear cold and uninterested in the lives of individuals… unless it’s seen as a good PR move. Both Democrats and Republicans are bashed in these series of images that reverberate throughout the entire film. Only a few are depicted in a positive light. And really this is the fault of Body of War: it doesn’t know how to honor the anti-war senators beyond praising them to some ridiculous degree. Senator Byrd in particular is given the Messiah treatment complete with a gag inducing display of affection when Tomas meets with him at the end of the film. Anti-war supporters may disagree, but the rest of society will cringe during this scene and wonder how much money Byrd paid to get the star treatment. Worse, this is the final scene of the movie and it really leaves a bitter taste with audiences. But this shouldn’t detract from the rest of the documentary or its message. Though it really fails to detail the exact bill Senators are voting on throughout the film, it still manages to create a successful, politically influencing story. More importantly, by featuring a wounded soldier, audiences are able to pull themselves back from their debate to remember the lives affected by their decisions. And though Body of War may not truly differentiate itself from the war-doc pack, it’s safe to say this is a quality film and should be at the head of that pack. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 5- uncomfortably close to Tomas’ life, which is good for audiences to endure Entertainment: 4- a great soundtrack and powerful story generally overshadows the politically divisive nature of this film Technical: 4- powerful use of a ‘day in the life’ tale to confront the continual problem of calloused politics Overall: 4- a film reminding audiences to never forget the personal stories and ramifications of war and political debates
 
Format: DVD Year: 2007 Running Time: 87 Min Distributor: The Film Sales Company Producer: Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro Director: Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro Date Reviewed: 2-25-2010 Story: Tomas Young left for Iraq a gung-ho soldier. He returned home paralyzed, struggling to deal with his physical limitations and his changing feelings about the war. This eye-opening documentary looks at the raging debate over the war in Iraq through the eyes of this courageous young hero who signed up for the military two days after Sept. 11, only to be sent to Iraq where a bullet shattered his life physically and emotionally (NetFlix)