Restrepo

I hadn't wanted to see any other films about either the Iraq or Afghan wars because this one is a documentary which I trust to be fairly accurate, and it didn't disappoint. I hope it will be nominated for an Oscar. The two filmmakers (Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger) spent a year with a platoon stationed in a very dangerous valley in Afghanistan. I didn't know what to expect from the film - too much horror? - but I found myself glued to the screen. "Restrepo" is the name of one of the soldiers who was killed fairly early on in the platoon's 15-month deployment. When they were assigned to set up an outpost, they named it "Restrepo" after him. Watching this film strengthened my opinion that neither the US nor any other foreign army has any business being in Afghanistan, that there's no way the continuing battles/skirmishes in various valleys with the locals can be doing any good. Of course both sides are going to be suspicious of the other, of course they're going to want revenge when members of their group or family are injured or killed, of course the locals aren't going to report on the Taliban in their areas. They need to work out their problems for themselves, especially since the original reason for the US being there after 9/11 has long passed. The American soldiers shown, including many of their heart-felt personal statements, are not vicious or in any way unusually violent young men. A full range of feelings are displayed: fear, shock, exhilaration, playfulness, boredom, expertise, strength, caring, and above all, the close-knit connection with other members of the platoon.