reladro No one here yet has commented much on the artistry of this film. It was adeptly shot, with a raw, on-the-fly style that caught fascinating shot after shot of Iraqi civilians and daily life (for techies, it was shot on a Panasonic 24P camera, and was almost certainly transfered to film). The editing and music are aggressive, maintaining an energy and attention span befitting the young filmmakers. Yet this is no MTV hack-job. The filmmakers catch the emotions of the film with simple beauty, such as the running storyline of Frank being reunited with his family, and showing their love, customs, and feelings. There's a smart balance between these moments and the ideological chaos that envelopes the family and the entire country.Others here have given good synopses of the film, so I won't add more to that other than to say the structure is intentionally meandering. The filmmakers in the "extras" section of the DVD discuss how they wanted to portray an emotional journey through Iraq from many perspectives, rather than to give a linear tale neatly guided by a voice-over. Don't look either for an intellectual dissection of the Iraqi situation from the filmmakers -- but expect a dozen or more dissections from those on-camera, ranging from idiotic (a U.S. soldier who thinks we're there just because we like to go to war and test weapons every few decades) to insightful. And the insights come from all sides, which tells us something we should have remembered from Vietnam: the real problem is not good vs. evil, but rather the clash of two civilizations with a complete lack of understanding for each other.

lcd1860 This film is a very small snapshot of the Iraq in late 2003 and reflects that moment in time. My opinion is that this film is very pro-US and makes the military effort look good.It is surprising to see this film shown at left-wing fund raisers since it is a great US Army recruiting film. It made me proud to be an Army veteran.It does not show the Iraqi forces engaged against the insurgents since the Iraqi forces were not as numerous as they are now.There is an African American Sergeant Tank Commander who gives a long and very organized monologue about why the US needs to be involved in Iraq. He is more eloquent than any Secretary of State or college professor.There is an Egyptian businessman who debates an Iraqi translator about the US intentions. He comes at it with a world view and she just sees greedy motivation.The only thing wrong in my opinion is the emphasis on "Depleted Uranium" munitions. These have been extensively studied and are not any worse than any of the other stuff on the battlefield. The lead from regular ammunition is also poisonous and the radiation from the depleted uranium is only seventy percent of the naturally occurring uranium found in the earth's crust. (Anyone interested is referred to the Federation of American Scientists web page.) The constant cigarette smoking is much more of a threat. At one point the radiation meter is clicking loudly but only reads 2 mR/hr. It would take 150 hours of direct contact with the metal to get the same exposure as one mammogram. These mammograms are recommended yearly for all women over fifty. There is probably much more of a radiation hazard from Saddam's old production sites.A very enjoyable movie with excellent sound and video editing to make it move nicely.

ktowers Since the mainstream media won't report on IRAQ this documentary takes a piercing look at the impact of the war and occupation on the people of IRAQ and the US soldiers who are there.One stunning vignette in the film points to the little discussed fact that the US used nuclear weapons in IRAQ. Not one big bomb, but 120 tons of depleted uranium used on the tips of armor piercing shells. Nonetheless, the countryside is littered with radioactive residue from these shells with a long term health impact for Iraqis and US soldiers.What a sobering film that all Americans should see. You can't help but walk away with a sense of the humanity and family bonds of Iraqis.

Draconian Clown I was hoping to see some fairness in this film. By fairness, I mean that the film would offer at least some representation of the entire circumstance of the war in Iraq. However, this film depicted an entirely negative view and joins the majority of mass media in an agenda of political commentary (with some nice digs at globalization just in case their audience forgot that globalization - read: the USA - kills trees and hurts kittens). This commentary must, by definition, be anti-American regardless of circumstance and in that it loses it's credibility. The producers used the crowds to pursue that agenda. These crowds of people would act however they were supposed to act in front of any camera depending on what expectations were set; I say this with all due respect for a people whose country is being occupied by a foreign army. The purpose of this war may be lost to all but history but this movie is simply too awash in blue paint to be taken seriously by any other than the politically aligned. Nice timing on the Roman Empire connection!