An unflinchingly candid portrait of a squad of American Soldiers deployed in the doomed Iraqi city of Falluja during the winter of 2004. Filmmakers Garrett Scott and Ian Olds were given full access to all operations of the... more » Army's famed 82nd Airborne, and lived with the unit 24/7.« less
"Two primary thoughts I would convey about Occupation Dreamland: 1) It's very real. This is not a typical war film... it embraces reality with two arms wrapped around it and brings you inside a situation that is on the brink of chaos. 2) No matter which side of the political debate you reside on, Dreamland is a film you ought to see."
It's about time
Anne K. Hall | New York | 02/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We've all seen so much of the debate for and against the war, the glamorous hollywood depictions, the local hero eulogies in our home towns, but this is the first movie that I've known of that lets the soldiers speak for themselves. It's important and truly fascinating to see what really goes on in Iraq, day to day on the streets and in the bunk rooms. Everybody says they support the troops but it's so easy to forget that they're a diverse group of individuals with dreams, fears, and opinions about this work that they're doing. It's also really interesting to see them interact with the Iraqi citizens and to get their view on the occupation.
As a person with a close family member recently sent home after getting injured in Iraq, these soldiers really ring true to me. I was happy to get to know them a little bit through this film. These men and women are slowly returning and picking up their lives. If we truly support them, we will make an effort to understand what they've been through as we welcome them back home."
Film of the Year
Joseph A. Fiorentino | BKLYN | 04/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really found this film affecting. It is not partisan or simplistic. It respects our troops by listening and being there. The military team the audience gets to hang with is strikingly diverse on every level. I walked out of the theater thinking that insight is more interesting than "answers". Every American should see this film."
A tour de force that it constantly compelling
Adam Galinsky | chicago, il | 03/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Going into this movie I was expecting a tired rendition of war-time life. Instead I found a gripping portrait of a number of brave soldiers who were burdened with fighting an enemy they could not see or find. This movie offers a window into the real situation in iraq- one uncluttered by the overblown pomposity of the nightly news. See this movie!!!"
Softball
13 Fox | Ft. Sill | 03/12/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"In response to the reviewer who calls the soldiers in Gunner Palace a bunch of whining support soldiers: those "whining support soldiers" spent 420 days in Iraq, fought from Baghdad to Najaf, lost 4 soldiers in combat operations and took nearly 60 wounded in action. By no means are they whining. And, since when is artillery considered support? Get your facts straight.
As for Dreamland, it shows a very different group of people in a different place. It's a worthwhile film, but I think that given what happened in Falluja, it doesn't answer many questions about how Falluja became what it is. The filmmakers approach is softball. The actions and tactics of the 82nd led to many of the problems in Falluja."