Keeping in mind that generally speaking, there are THREE sides to every story, his side, her side and the way it really is...and all of them are the 'truth'. That said, 'The War Tapes' was, to me, a confirmation of many truths I already knew and or suspected. I feel this film ought to be shown to every High School and college senior class.
TRUTH be told, war mongers and profiteers and their staunch supporters will more than likely dislike this film and probably call it anti-war 'propaganda'. 'The War Tapes' is not a masterpiece of film-making like Robert Altman's 1970 film 'M*A*S*H', Kubricks's 1957 film 'Paths of Glory' or Sam Peckinpah's final masterpiece from 1977, 'Cross of Iron' the video tape shot for this documentary doesn't lie. While this revealing film has that homemade shaky look, and not very clear footage of the gruesome fire fights and long shots of explosions after the 'boom' only adds to the films authenticity in a 'you are there' kind of way.
For hearing and seeing the soldiers explaining, specifically, their duties were to escort Halliburton's convoys of 18 wheeler's deliver profitable merchandise from point A to point B reminded me of 'fraud, waste and abuse' of American tax payers' money. It's so appalling that the soldiers get paid a little over $17,000 annually and the Halliburton drivers get paid over $120,000 annually made me vomit in my popcorn bag. Sadly, it was not pointed out that Halliburton gets paid by US, we the people, via the Federal Taxes we pay. It's even sadder that the film doesn't go into what kind of kick backs former Halliburton executive, our fearless Vice President 'tricky' Dick Cheney (who never once served in the military) gets funneled to his 'off-shore' bank accounts, but that would have to be another film.
'The War Tapes' is a great film for documenting the soldiers' as they are being traumatized for doing 'their job' is among of the sickest and saddest truths of the film, to me. But, it's just great that the 'on base Burger King' has a drive-through window that was widened to accommodate the military Humvees.
I think, I was sadly disappointed that after some of the soldiers cited the attack on US in September 2001 for wanting to go to Iraq, 'The War Tapes' did not point out that of the 19 hijackers on September 11, 2001, ZERO were from Iraq and furthermore, Zero had any ties to Iraq or Saddam Hussein.
TRUTH be told, war mongers and profiteers and their staunch supporters will more than likely dislike this film and probably call it anti-war 'propaganda'. 'The War Tapes' is not a masterpiece of film-making like Robert Altman's 1970 film 'M*A*S*H', Kubricks's 1957 film 'Paths of Glory' or Sam Peckinpah's final masterpiece from 1977, 'Cross of Iron' the video tape shot for this documentary doesn't lie. While this revealing film has that homemade shaky look, and not very clear footage of the gruesome fire fights and long shots of explosions after the 'boom' only adds to the films authenticity in a 'you are there' kind of way.
For hearing and seeing the soldiers explaining, specifically, their duties were to escort Halliburton's convoys of 18 wheeler's deliver profitable merchandise from point A to point B reminded me of 'fraud, waste and abuse' of American tax payers' money. It's so appalling that the soldiers get paid a little over $17,000 annually and the Halliburton drivers get paid over $120,000 annually made me vomit in my popcorn bag. Sadly, it was not pointed out that Halliburton gets paid by US, we the people, via the Federal Taxes we pay. It's even sadder that the film doesn't go into what kind of kick backs former Halliburton executive, our fearless Vice President 'tricky' Dick Cheney (who never once served in the military) gets funneled to his 'off-shore' bank accounts, but that would have to be another film.
'The War Tapes' is a great film for documenting the soldiers' as they are being traumatized for doing 'their job' is among of the sickest and saddest truths of the film, to me. But, it's just great that the 'on base Burger King' has a drive-through window that was widened to accommodate the military Humvees.
I think, I was sadly disappointed that after some of the soldiers cited the attack on US in September 2001 for wanting to go to Iraq, 'The War Tapes' did not point out that of the 19 hijackers on September 11, 2001, ZERO were from Iraq and furthermore, Zero had any ties to Iraq or Saddam Hussein.