Restrepo

Made in out to see RESTREPO this last day it is playing in
the South Sound. The Grand Theater brought it back for
two weeks. The crowds were thin; apathy appeared on the
street carried in the faces of the passersby not really
looking at the poster, not really wanting a dose of
reality. This documentary hits hard, and the hand-held
battle footage is astonishing; and since this company
of brave young Americans was fired on thrice daily
for 15 months, the stress, the anxiety, the death is
unrelenting. I found myself seeing my son-in-law
in many of the youthful warrior's faces, same buzz
Army cut, same curl to the lip, same muttering of
military jargon, same sadness and anger in those
hard eyes. We could hear the hearts hardening
as the fifty caliber machine guns roared from the
firebase, and the choppers. We could see the
PTSD building up like a combat rash in all of
them, see the twisting of souls, the tampering
with ideals. My son-in-law just got out of
the Army, after tours in Bosnia, and two tours
in Iraq. He made it home to be a terrific father
to my two grandsons, and a wonderful husband
for my oldest daughter. During the course of
filming 50 soldiers did not make it home
breathing; only their caskets were returned
to their loved ones.

Rating: R
Length: 93 minutes
Year: 2010

Filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington
pay a visit to Afghanistan's Korengal Valley to spend
a year with the Second Platoon, a besieged squadron
who dubbed their stronghold Outpost Restrepo in
honor of their fallen comrade PFC Juan Restrepo.
An al-Qaeda and Taliban stronghold, Korengal Valley
sees some of the fiercest fighting in the War on Terror.
At Outpost Restrepo, every shot fired is personal,
and every target hit a gift to a fallen friend.
RESTREPO is the New York Times Critic's Pick!

The warrior drama unfolds organically, without
artificial suspense. -- Ella Taylor, Village Voice

It's doubtful you'll ever see a combat documentary
that channels the chaos of war as thoroughly as this one. --
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

This movie will stir your heart and open your mind. -- Joe Morgenstern,
Wall Street Journal