The White Helmets (2016) User Reviews

Review from a Syrian

[talalghebehsyr · 7/10 · 27 February 2017]

This documentary is about the Syrian Civil Defense or "The White Helmets" as the film makers decided to name them. It focuses on the personal side of the characters trying to make the viewer perceive these people as human beings rather than numbers you hear on the news. While the film succeeds at the emotional part, it fails to offer much else. There were many repetitive scenes for a 40 min documentary, and the focus on some characters went overboard sometimes.

Now, I wrote the previous part of my review trying to be as objective as possible. The next part, I will write as a Syrian who isn't on any of the many sides of the Syrian war. What made me write this review, my first on IMDb, is that I noticed many negative reviews seeming to push a propaganda opposite to the propaganda they were claiming this film is about. Comments I have high confidence they come from Syrian Assad supporters so I thought I would try to restore the balance.

While the film clearly favors the side of the WHs, their side itself is about "saving lives" regardless of any other factors so what is there to disagree with? Some commentators said the WHs are terrorists/islamists/etc and I find that really insulting as I don't myself live in a war zone in Syria, I never heard anyone questioning or criticizing WHs. Also, common sense tells me these people don't have to lie about their intentions in a country where there are countless factions fighting. Everyone is free to have their own opinion, but when most of the 1-star reviews come from 1 review accounts I find it fishy - one reviewer stating "England" as his country starts with "Shame on the western-world", a prevalent statement in the Al-Assad regime media.

Syria is a country where many evils fight. You have Al-Assad, factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and finally ISIS!! Each side will try to convince you with their story, like Assad fan base in many of the comments I mentioned, but the real story in Syria is about many villains fighting over the pie of things like power/oil/location and poor people suffering in the crossfire. The only light one can find in this tragedy is people like the ones in this movie whose mandate is save lives. Thank you White Helmets!

Reality check

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 9 March 2017]

We live in a time, where conspiracy theories are the new flavor of the month/year. While this short documentary (still 40 minutes long) won an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, there is a lot of controversy. Well while watching the documentary you may not think about it, but there have been reports that the White Helmets have been paid for by the "West" and are helping terrorists.

Hard to believe to tell you the truth, even though I will admit that some of the scenes filmed did look a bit staged. Something that actually happened with one of the videos uploaded on the internet and has been exposed. But the bombings must be real (I guess you could only argue if they are in cahoots with those who are responsible for the bombings.

If you can actually have a clear mind while watching this, then you will be able to see something remarkable though. It's a grand story of survival, of humanity and of help in general, while risking your own life. And it's up to you to decide whom you want to believe ...

Early contender for Best Documentary Short Oscar next year

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 26 September 2016]

"The White Helmets" is a 40-minute documentary from this year produced by Netflix. The director is Oscar nominee Orlando von Einsiedel. Here he tells us the story of the White Helmets, a group of Syrians who run to places that are directly affected by air strikes while everybody else runs away from these places. Their goal is to save and rescue those people who live in the bombed houses and who may rely on help to flee from the ruins. With this task, the White Helmets have saved thousands of lives already and this documentary shows us that it is a dangerous job (many from them have died too during their mission), but that it can also be very rewarding, for example when they save a baby's life. It is an important job they have for sure and I don't think I remember having seen a documentary on this subject, or this particular group specifically. That's why I believe it was a good thing that this was made, even if I sometimes lost a bit of interest in-between as it is really exactly the way I expected this documentary turn out and there was nothing in here that surprised me for whatever reason. Also included are interviews with the White Helmets, in which they speak about their jobs and why they do what they do. Thumbs up for this little movie. I recommend the watch.

A moving tale of the best and worst of humanity.

[Myati · 10/10 · 18 January 2020]

Watch this. It's a shocking, horrifying, saddening film, but also one that gives you hope in humanity and makes you realize how lucky we are to live in peace. It tells you that in the darkest places in this world there is a light of good and selfishness, that true heroes do exist. I can only wish to be half as good an human being as the heroes portrait in this documentary. A must watch film, even if its a difficult one to stomach. For future generations to judge us on.

Good documentary portraying heroic men - please don't believe all the fake news around here

[dtiana22 · 29 December 2017]

As a 1-star comment around here suggested, I did my homework on the White Helmets. Fortunately, claims that WH are terrorists seem to be unfounded and highly motivated by political reasons. Sources like Snopes - a fact-checking website, BBC, The Guardian and SBS, all agree that the accusations held against the WH are pure propaganda as there is no evidence whatsoever behind them.

This documentary, although a little "Hollywood", is a great depiction of those heroic people, risking their lives to save civilians, no matter what side they're on. It's a little short and some scenes might be staged, but in my opinion the documentary and the work of these men is truly inspirational and restores a little my hope in humanity. They deserve all the praise!

War, what is it good for...

[jordan2240 · 9/10 · 5 March 2017]

I don't get the reviews that give this film a very low rating. I'm not very familiar with what is going on in Syria and why, but there was nothing in this documentary that associated the group of rescuers with any one side. In fact, one of them said that their goal is to rescue every human being, regardless of what side he/she might be on. I was moved by the courage of these men and sympathize with what they must tolerate emotionally to do what they do. The work must be incredibly hard physically as well. The film did bog down a bit when it concentrated on the training in Turkey, but I think it was merely presenting another facet of the job, as we'd already been presented with footage of them performing rescues. I feel it would be beneficial to all in the USA, especially at this time, to witness what is going on in parts of the world where many seek to find refuge elsewhere.

Definitely deserves all it's praise!

[Hellmant · 9/10 · 3 March 2017]

'THE WHITE HELMETS': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The 2017 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short Film is this heartbreaking account of the brave Syrian Civil Defense rescue workers (know as the White Helmets). As daily airstrikes kill civilians every day in Syria (over 400,000 in fives years, while millions of others have fled their homes), these daring volunteer workers heroically search for survivors, as they're often killed themselves. The film details their very passionate personal stories. The White Helmets are undoubtedly as brave, and selfless, as anyone could possibly claim to be (now, or throughout history). So the film is all at once very tragic, and inspiring. It runs just 41 minutes long, but it tells a very powerful story in that time. Orlando von Einsiedel directed the British short film, and it stars Khalid Farah, Mohammed Farah, Abu Omar and many others. I highly recommend it, the short definitely deserves all it's praise! You can see it on Netflix right now, which also released it.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D9ZNHDah5M

I doubt anybody would wonder why people are leaving Syria after watching this.

[dndege · 9/10 · 25 September 2016]

Documentary about real heroes. Everybody knows the situation in the middle east, but not many of us can connect in deep emotions with them, because we only see numbers. This documentary shows brave men fighting for the life of other people in their country without any weapons. I think that in this noise around refugees it's really hard to hear the voice of people who actually stay there. Thanks to this documentary You can somehow regain confidence in the fact that there are good people fighting for the right cause, but at the same time wonder why is this all happening and how come this kind of situations just pass through us on a daily basis. The only reason I gave a 9/10 is because it could be longer, but at the same time it's long enough. It's my first ever review on IMDb, because my feelings after watching this just couldn't let me just leave it as it is. I will definitely recommend this to everybody I'll have a chance to.

Timely, poignant documentary

[elena-andreicheva · 9/10 · 12 October 2016]

At one point in this film, a character looks up at the sky, expecting the inevitable sound of approaching bombs. It's a really poignant moment and encapsulates why this is such an important film to watch. For most of us, the reality is peace - for them, daily, it's war and incessant bombing. The White Helmets, the Syrian heroes who go in to save civilians, are given real heart in this short documentary. But their life of heroics is brutally brought to life by the footage they film themselves in Aleppo. It clearly shows us that what the White Helmets do is not just heroic but also necessary. A really important film to see for all those who are sick of the politics.

Scope Too Narrow

[iquine · 4/10 · 28 September 2017]

(Flash Review)

The narrow scope of the film is honorable; to shine a light on a dedicated group of "White Helmet" rescuers who rush out immediately after air strikes to rescue injured civilians and to carry out dead bodies. These air strikes are taking place in Syria by, apparently by Russian fighter jets. As the roar of the jets fly by, the White Helmets get ready to see and hear where the bombs drop and rush in that direction. You rush along with them from a hand-held camera perspective; much like COPS. You see them drag out crying babies and uncover people, some dead. There are some interviews with some White Helmet members and they explain why they do what they do. Also during the emergency scenes, there are scenery clips spliced in and emotional music all with clever editing. Giving a less biased-free feel for the documentary as it tried to paint a picture that didn't need painting. They also never explain why these attacks are going or who Russia, or anyone else, could be targeting. Yes, these are awful actions and you certainly feel bad for the civilians caught, literally, in the crosshairs but the scope of the film should have been broader to paint a more complete picture.

A film of hope and humanity

[Gordon-11 · 30 August 2017]

This documentary film tells the story of a group of civilians in Syria, who volunteer for a group called The White Helmets to save lives of people affected by the civil war.

The film contains footage of air raids and rescue. There is a scene where bombs are seen dropping from a plane, trailing them to the ground and then we see buildings explode. This scene just makes me speechless. The miracle baby scene makes me very touched. I hope more people will take part in humanitarian missions. If the war would stop, that would be even better.

Incredibly moving film about real heroes

[aedmoore · 10/10 · 12 October 2016]

Incredibly moving film about real heroes; the Syrian Civil Defense.

These guys are a bunch of real people, former teachers, tailors, shop workers and so on who risk everything everyday to save the lives of strangers.

When Russian bombs start raining down, they rush in to pull people out of the rubble. The interviews are intensely personal and candid. The action is truly thrilling and frankly horrifying in equal measure. It's not an easy watch by any means but everyone should see this film.

An unbelievably powerful story, beautifully told. Don't let the trolls put you off. That's clearly what they want.

this movie shows the real heroes

[sarasbiee · 10/10 · 24 January 2017]

For people who think it's a propaganda , you don't know what really happening in Syria because of what media shows all the time. It's not a civil war in Syria , it's a revolution and the government is killing the civilians with Russia's help !

whatever you think about the Syrian revolution , the white helmets are saving souls. When the bombs rain down, the Syrian Civil Defence rushes in. In a place where public services no longer function these unarmed volunteers risk their lives to help anyone in need - regardless of their religion or politics. Known as the White Helmets these volunteer rescue workers operate in the most dangerous place on earth.

The situation is even worse

[usamasight · 10/10 · 5 February 2022]

The documentary only shows a glimpse of how ugly the syrian regime and his Russian ali are,

we still yet to see another documentary about their prisons and how they torture people like they used to do in the dark ages there or even worse!,

Such a difficult and necessary piece of documentary brilliance

[bn229 · 10/10 · 12 April 2024]

I have never before seen such a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking. To say that "The White Helmets" moved me is truly an understatement. I had to watch it in two sittings. While watching the first half, I became so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to turn it off. It was the mix of emotions that did me in. Anger. Sadness. Frustration. Hopelessness. But also hope. And love. And patience. And strength. As I said: it was all just too much. Each emotion was stronger and more powerful than the one that came before it. Listening to the stories of the men who have dedicated their very lives to the mission of the White Helmets tore me up. Watching the video clips of bombings was an assault on my mind. Watching the video clips of them rescuing people, particularly the "miracle baby", was a downright shock to my system. I did not make it through either half of the viewings without many tears. This documentary is a must-see for the whole world.

absolute GARBAGE

[rawhead-73734 · 1/10 · 3 March 2017]

I fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and believe me, this film is nothing more than staged propaganda. The narrative that is being place in front of our eyes these days is reminiscent of when CNN, FOX, and MSNBC were all telling us that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. If anyone is curious of the legitimacy of this film and all of the lies being told about Syria today there is plenty of sources out there, don't just take it from me. DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK please.

Suspicious number of 1 star reviews in a row

[jxa-12365 · 11 February 2020]

There are 14 1/10 reviews almost in a row here, I think people should think about where these may have come from as it does not seem like a coincidence.

Too manipulative and sanitized

[pfate12 · 4/10 · 27 February 2017]

Saw this after it won the Oscar, didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It was too manipulative: shot after shot of them rescuing barely injured kids, the emotional music, etc. A good documentary should show it all without editing or music to manipulate the viewer, let the events and people involved guide the story as it happens. This seemed too infused with Western sentimentality, too shallow to really explore the horrific suffering and complexities of the Syrian conflict. A number of prominent conservatives are also convinced the group is linked to Al-Nusra front. Wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, though it doesn't take away from the heroics of the men themselves.

This is not a good documentary

[eilon122 · 1/10 · 4 February 2017]

The situation in Syria is much more important than the focus on 3 people training to save lives and mourning about their friends. the entire movie is the team leaving to train somewhere is Turkey and worrying about their friends in Syria, the movie is extremely trying to be popular and begging for your tears. this is not the documentary level i expected of Netflix. wish i had not see it because the situation is far worst in Syria than is presented in the movie. I hope better movies will come in the future, I don't think this movie deserve to be nominated, i wish all the luck to the people in the film and peace to this area.

white helmets are funded by enemies of Syria

[tvujseznam · 1/10 · 20 February 2018]

The founder James Le Mesurier is British ex officer, he stole name Syrian civil defense from real Syrian organization, USA, EU and Turkey sponsors WH with millions of dollars so WH are not independent as they claim, sometimes they carry weapons, sometimes they carry terrorist flag, they operate only in rebel-terrorists held areas despite most of population escaped to pro Assad areas all you can easily find in YouTube. There is many propaganda movies but this one got the Oscar, bravo USA.

Is this just another American propaganda?

[pentobarbita · 1/10 · 5 March 2017]

American Academy awarded this movie with golden statue. That tells a lot more about Hollywood than the film itself. War is very complex "thing", especially the war in Syria (where we got lot of sides fighting over the shoulders of Syrian people, including them self, of course), but this documentary make it so simple with black and white approach, typical for propaganda films. So, on one side we got good boys: The brave white helmets, and on the other side we got a devil himself: Al-Assad, evil Russians and... I almost forgot, the ISIS. So untrue. The next thing I "love" so much is the story told just by a group of guys (type at your browser: white helmets fakes). Where is the story of evil side? Where is the story of Syrian people? You just can't make a war movie from PERSONAL point of view. It's just wrong. One more "good thing" is cheep manipulation of viewer's emotions with a poor little children, a lot of tears and pathetic music. Is this whole movie fake? Judge yourself.

Where to begin....

[haroldcrane · 1/10 · 16 April 2017]

So propaganda much. The white helmet's are a PR companies dream (if you are looking to start war that is) they are saving the innocent civilians from the nasty bad guys. But in reality most of it is staged or they are operating in terrorist controled areas, not that there would be anything wrong with that if they where not actual linked to them.

Like there friends Jabad fatal AL sham, (i may have spelled there name wrong... they need easier names) they would appear at there beheading and be actively supporting them. This is no Syrian civil defense force this is the result of British funding trying to drum up war support.

thankfully it is a failure as it should be.

Propaganda

[japdekiwi · 1/10 · 14 April 2018]

Propaganda made by USA. Look further and you will understand it

So, IMDb decided to remove inconvenient reviews?

[lemagicienbergier · 1/10 · 14 May 2017]

I reviewed this "mockumentary" some time ago and i decided to read it...what was my surprise when i haven't found it. IMDb apparently adopted the ways of other "democratic" media and censors opinions that are uncomfortable. White Helmets is part of terrorist organization financed by USA and the Oscar for this movie is a disgrace...or not...Oscars are either way just a funny snobbish local mini-event.

This whole documentary is based on a lie.

[jerryadlington · 1/10 · 12 April 2018]

The media controls how you view things. How much the white helmets help is not actually known. The White Helmets are the people that stage gas attacks for the CIA. Chemicals that can kill by coming into contact with your skin did not effect the white helmets at all. This documentary is disgraceful.