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Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008
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Film sheds light on human toll of an unpopular war |
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| Film sheds light on human toll of an unpopular war | ||
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by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid -
SGN A&E Writer In The Valley Of Elah Directed by Paul Haggis Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, Charlize Theron Opened September 14th locally For most people who live in cities, the war in Iraq is 'over there', and the only vision of it comes from what the network news provides. With this in mind, I watched the reactions of several audience members at the screening for In The Valley Of Elah, a film about a father's search for his missing son, after the son returns from Iraq. Many were visibly shaken and horrified as the young soldier in the film recounts in graphic detail how he and two other soldier friends of the man's son, kill their friend after a night of drinking and brawling. As I sat there, I thought of my own friend, now overseas, and how he would recount events with that same disconnected look and smile the young soldier had on his face. Maybe that's what made this film, one that doesn't sugar coat the PTSD soldiers bring home with them, so important to me, and why it should be seen by everyone, whether they have loved ones overseas or not. The film, based on true events, is not an easy one to watch. The pace isn't like the summer blockbusters or the other action/adventures films out there now. This one focuses on the little things, like how the father (played with a stoic resolve that threatens to break at any moment during the film, by Tommy Lee Jones), a former soldier himself, insists on getting to the bottom of what happened to his son. This comes after he and a burned out, harassed detective (Charlize Theron, in perhaps another Oscar-worthy performance) find that the cut-up body the police find, is that of his missing son. And it is his insistence on looking deeper into this murder that prompts the detective to go above and beyond to solve this case, even as she is hampered by the bureaucratic secrecy of the military investigator. Not a gory or overly hyper film, In The Valley Of Elah, instead it concentrates on how war affects not only those who fight, but those who must often deal with the wounds of those battles, or later losses because of those affects. Certain to be a controversial film, and one that should make any activist want to go out and protest in the street, this film is a must see for those who don't have the war living at home via a loved one or friend of friend. It's probably the most accurate portrayal of the lives of those young people who come home from the Middle East and what they go through after, as well as what those who love them go through. Powerful and often visceral, I recommend this film with my whole heart. |
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