The Ground Truth DVD with Herold Noel, Robert Acosta, Sean Huze (R) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap

An informative film told from the views of our Soldiers and

Eddie Lancekick | Pacific Northwest | 11/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Ground Truth is being praised by the left and dismissed by the right. I did not feel after watching it that it came down so much to a political debate about the good or bad views of the current war in Iraq, but the consequences and outcomes that we don't see or realize.

The ground truth is a film that should be viewed by anyone who wants to see the other side of war, the one usually not told. Forget the blurbs you see on your Television every night, and take a moment to view this film.

The documentary rolls at a good pace as it spends half the time not interviewing soldiers, sailors and marines who have returned from Iraq, but lets them simply tell the story in their own words. It is not so much concentrated on tearing down the military or our government policies as much as showing, at the same time, that the people coming back are facing something that nobody else can even relate to. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. I found it very interesting when one young man was talking about coming home and when someone asked him what happened to his arm (which had to be amputated due to a combat injury) he replied "I lost it in Iraq". The response was "Whoa...you mean that's still going on?" The film does not pull any punches however, as it will come across at times as one sided, but why not? These men and women were there, why don't we listen to what they have to say? I don't think that's too much to ask. What I found ironic (though not surprising) was the parallels to Vietnam in the terms of how the bureaucratic process deals with these men and women after they come back home. The paperwork nightmare of trying to get help from the same people who sent them over there, in harms way in the first place, shows that we have not yet broken the cycle when it comes to our veterans. They are sent off to combat and come back needing physical, psychological and monetary assistance in all ranges and forms, yet continue to get the runaround with a large amount of red tape and denial of recognition of their situation.

War is hell. It always has been. I know after watching this that I want to do everything I can to make sure that the veterans are not whisked aside and in some cases, reprimanded for speaking out about the war. The film does a good job showing us just how much combat these people are facing; some go for weeks without rest. It also showed how easily that the Iraqi civilians are killed, even though it may be accidental, just furthering the trauma that the living have to deal with when they survive and try to come home to assume, if they can, a civilian role in life again. Nightmares, tension, and sleepless nights coupled with a multitude of other issues now face them, and again, it was not surprising to learn that the same process that sent them off and could send many off again and again, is not doing everything in their power to help them when they return.

Overall its a great documentary that I did not feel was at all in poor taste, but powerfully truthful in showing what combat veterans are going through today both on the battlefield and off."

Still another perspective on the "war"

Timothy P. Scanlon | Hyattsville, MDUSA | 10/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While at Camp Democracy a few weeks ago across from the White House, I met one of the guys who testified in this film--the day I ran across a reference to it on the web. Thanks to Amazon.com for having it available!

I continue to write on different "perspectives" on the war in Iraq. There's lies, corruption, oil, econmomics. But one of the primary perspectives is that of those who're fighting it! (That, I confess, I had forgotten!)

Logically, the film starts with the basic training of those entering the military. The text of the story clarifies that even in World War II, there were some who wondered what they were fighting and why. So training became more focused. One navy objector claimed they get up comically early every day thereby keeping the recruits tired all the time--and mor open to "influence." The word "kill" is repeated so much that it becomes like "eat." Then there's the "group dynamic" one of the Marines referred to: it seems to be normal to kill. (One testified that we ALL have at one time or another wanted to kill someone. But we don't, for any number of reasons. But in today's basic training, the concept of killing becomes so standard that we don't even question it. And there IS something wrong with that!)

Then there's the war itself. The guys--and women, remember they're in combat now too--commented that they were constantly under pressure. Anyone, women, kids, could be armed and dangerous. And the navy guy stated that they were seen as weak and inhibited if they DIDN'T kill someone. Body count became a badge of honor!

This is what caused many of those--and at least half of those who testified were Marines, the alleged cream of the crop of the killing machine, as I think one of them stated (I'm paraphrasing him.)--to challenge the rectitude of their being there. One shot a woman in a split-second decision, assuming she was either giving in or would blow up his comrades. He shot twice and the rest of his company opened fire. He went to the body, or what was left of it, and found she had a white flag in her hand.

That led to the story of those who returned. The one who'd shot the woman went to a counsellor who objected (!) to working with a "conscientious objector." He asked her, "Are you crazy? You won't work with me because I reject killing innnocent civilians?" And he was a Marine staff seargent!

Funny. I was talking with my father, a WWII veteran, recently. He said that if this were Vietnam, many more would be dead; new medical techniques and technology are keeping them alive. This film confirmed that. One who testified was an army specialist. The viewer doesn't know until later in the film that the young man lost his hand and the most effective use of his legs while in Iraq. Others were mangled, and one uses a forearm crutch for the rest of his life.

The point of all this is that neither the psychlogicaly nor the physically wounded are receiveing adequate care on their return. (One who testified was I think an army ranger, and officer, said the the psychologial effects on those who return from this war will be the most devestating.) First, they return without any acclimitizing, i.e., it's NOT normal to blow someone away because they cut you off on the highway, then some have gone so far as to commit suicide. The family of one Marine suicide victim comments several times throughout the film that they didn't even see the effects of the conflict on their son--to whom, incidentally, the film is dedicated.

I'm almost giving away too much. I find this film to be a gem. There are many conscientious objectors in the ranks of the troops there--one testified in the film that two thirds of the troops there want only to get home so, he asserts, the "support the troops" platitude is inappropriate. And many who've returned are objecting, to the pointless killing and the inadequate treatment once they return.

I encourage you to see this, and show it to others. I'm planning a showing or two at my house!

"

Moving and disturbing

Alastair Farrugia | Malta, EU | 01/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This documentary shows several Iraq war veterans who are wounded or traumatised, and the relatives of some who died. These are mostly veterans and relatives who are disturbed by what they saw and did, or simply by the lack of treatment that they themselves received.

Some are motivated by opposition to the war, but not all, and the documentary focuses almost completely on the soldiers' experiences, not on politics.

Of course, there are many vets who support the war, but over 1,000 active-duty members of the US military have signed an Appeal for Redress of Grievances that calls for "the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq".

I had read about much of this elsewhere, so it was not such a surprise for me, but I still found the documentary moving."

Very fairly presented film in spite of it's anti-war message

K. Harriger | 10/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the opening scenes of Patricia Foulkrod's powerful documentary about our questionable military venture in Iraq and its effect on the psyches of the soldiers who fight in it, we're introduced to a number of young soldiers who speak candidly and powerfully about the motivations that led them to join the military. As their stories unfold, we hear their surprised reactions to boot camp and combat training as they were taught to dehumanize their enemy, to "kill hadjis and ragheads." Each soldier describes in tight, careful detail their transformation from idealistic civilian to highly-trained killing machine. One soldier states quite bluntly and without sentiment how he watched his own resistance to killing grow weaker and finally fade away as the indoctrination took place. Even more chilling is his later description of looking forward to taking his first human life. "I'd been trained for it," he said, "and I wanted to do it."

For most of the soldiers in this movie, their turning points and epiphanies arrive in the shocking moments when their worldview is shattered, when the solid black line between right and wrong suddenly turns to muddy, indistinct gray. In nearly every story, we hear of their complicity in the deaths of innocent men, women and children, people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One soldier describes having an old woman in the sights of his rifle and being forced to make a split-second decision as she approached an armored US military vehicle. After firing two rounds himself, he watched in horror as the occupants of the armored vehicle opened fire as well, tearing her to pieces. As she fell to the ground, the soldier saw the white flag in her hand. He tells us that he threw his gun to the ground with tears in his eyes. As another soldier notes, "It's one thing to replace your worldview with a new one, but another thing entirely to have your worldview shattered and have nothing to replace it with."

What I found so amazing about this movie was the lack of obvious editorializing. It's a spare, lean movie without obtrusive direction. The soldiers simply tell their powerful stories to the camera. There are virtually no distractions or breaks save for a few brief "intermissions" that feature photo montages overlaid with music, and then it's right back to the soldiers. I've read other reviews that complain about the one-sidedness of the film, but what documentary isn't? That's what documentaries do... they present a biased (yet hopefully intelligent) point of view. They're made with bias and the hope that viewers come to embrace, or at least take into account, the point of view presented by the film.

Any good war documentary is made with a clear agenda, and this film's purpose is to show the madness of a war that lacks a clear objective, a notion that seems to have filtered down to the soldiers as well. One soldiers states that most of the soldiers he speaks with have no clear idea of the war's stated mission. "Something to do with 9/11" is a common response. Without a clear stated goal, the soldiers adopt the only one that makes any sense to them... kill or be killed. Kill so that you can eventually go home to the ones you love. Kill because if you don't, you're not a good soldier. It's little wonder that they return home with little or no idea how to readjust to civilian life. The Bush administration pitches the conflict in Iraq as part of the larger war on terror, yet the soldiers interviewed tend to see themselves as participants in an escalating body of terror rather than defenders of freedom.

And yet one of the most powerful things about this film is personal passion of the soldiers themselves. Even before we hear each soldier's entire story, we realize that they aren't a bunch of whiners. They are people we feel we can trust. Each was a patriotic young person who stepped forward to do his or her duty. Most went to boot camp with a sense of purpose and pride, and returned home disillusioned with what they learned. In the end, each made a very personal decision how to deal with what they discovered, a decision to either suck it up and put a cap on it, hoping it wouldn't blow, or confront it and be willing to speak the truth, no matter the consequences. The Ground Truth is the story of soldiers coming to terms with the reality of a misguided war, and dealing with their discovery with grace and courage.

"

Consider seeing it

Grelber37 | Wisconsin USA | 01/04/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Ground Truth is worth watching. It provides much footage and commentary rarely encountered in other media. Rarely broadcast--for whatever reason. Certainly, the film's discussion touches both the mind and heart. And, it could be hardly more important. Many Americans have been awaiting the missing piece of the truth that this film provides.

I have one negative criticism of The Ground Truth. Responsibly, one must provide this "Spoiler." Most veterans interviewed are with Veterans Against the War; however, the film-makers provide this ethical information only in the denouement. Furthermore, one interviewed veteran pursues a Hollywood career. Perhaps, this document-ary contains biased hidden truths--perhaps not.

Perhaps appropriately, one could compare this documentary's legitimacy to that of Fahrenheit 9/11. The text provides a goldmine of hidden realities/truths, but it functions also as essayistic propaganda. Purchase this DVD if you navigate its mixed composition willingly. Otherwise, Gunner Palace provides a less-biased commentary. But, that documentary provides often information that would benefit from accompanying commentary--such as The Ground Truth provides."

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