Still the Drums is a powerful, passionate, and engaging first work from a compulsively creative writer-director-actor. A moving, character-driven contemporary drama with a surprising Vietnam-era back story, this film is still relevant today for a world that keeps getting stuck in wars that exact enormous hidden costs. The film tells the story of three Vietnam vets who have been quietly carrying the burdens of the brutality of war for decades. The story unfolds simply, but creatively, through an engaging narrative that rarely stumbles. The acting, the cinematography, and the editing are all absolutely first-rate. This is completely professional production by Talbot Simons and his collaborators who have created a genuine work of cinematic art that will reward repeated viewing.
Another reviewer (littlekitty16) not only misses the point of the film (it is not about nor does it imply that vets are pedophiles), but she also gets her facts wrong. The writer-director is, in fact, a vet who served four years in the navy. This film is not in any way anti-military nor America-bashing, but rather is a deeply patriotic inquiry into some of the unintended consequences of combat and the moral dilemmas imposed by war.
If you like thought-provoking small films, this one is for you. Watch it with friends and have a discussion afterwards.
--Lior Samson, author of Bashert and The Dome
Another reviewer (littlekitty16) not only misses the point of the film (it is not about nor does it imply that vets are pedophiles), but she also gets her facts wrong. The writer-director is, in fact, a vet who served four years in the navy. This film is not in any way anti-military nor America-bashing, but rather is a deeply patriotic inquiry into some of the unintended consequences of combat and the moral dilemmas imposed by war.
If you like thought-provoking small films, this one is for you. Watch it with friends and have a discussion afterwards.
--Lior Samson, author of Bashert and The Dome