Watch these documentaries to honor the heroes who've risked life and limb to protect our country and values, and to acknowledge that being in battle has taught them about the nature of war and brought many of them to believe that war isn't an effective way to resolve conflicts. The documentaries on this list cover diverse combat situations and are respectful of the soldiers who've survived them, but they all lead to consideration of whether war and its consequences are worthwhile.
1. Disarm. - 2009
IndiePix
Disarm., an in-depth study and status report about efforts to remove landmines still buried in fields and forests around the globe, is a reminder that the effects of war persist even after accords have been reached. Soldiers and citizens are killed and maimed daily by landmines, and this film strongly advocates that the manufacture, trade, stockpiling and deployment of all landmines be banned. In the film, we meet victims and the valiant nonviolent crusaders who are leading the fight to make the world safe from these heinous weapons. Available on DVD (Compare Prices).
2. The Good Soldier - 2009
Artistic License
The Good Soldier is a powerful documentary in which filmmakers Lexi Lovell and Michael Uys present a cadre of highly decorated soldiers who'd fought valiantly in America's wars -- World War II, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Iraq -- and, in doing so, came to the conclusion that warfare is neither a righteous nor effective way to resolve differences of opinion, ideology and/or national interests. Opens theatrically in New York on Veterans Day, November 11, 2009.
3. Lioness - 2008
Docurama
Lioness, by filmmakers Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, profiles a group of courageous women soldiers who were deployed to Iraq as support personnel--mechanics, cooks, and clerks--but found themselves in actual combat situations. Known as Team Lioness, they are the first generation of American women to return home as combat veterans, and their debriefing in this film is heart wrenching and enlightening. Available on DVD (Compare Prices).
4. Restrepo - 2010
National Geographic
Filmmakers Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger were embedded with a platoon of U.S. soldiers, the Second Platoon, Battle Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade, during their 15-month deployment to Afghanistan's remote Korengal Valley. The soldiers are in constant danger, under extreme stress and always fearful, yet they carry on. Without comment or personal intervention, the filmmakers show what it's like to be at war.
5. Stop Loss - 2008
This narrative feature uses dialogue taken directly from the interviews director Kimberly Pierce she conducted with her soldier brother and members of his platoon who were being again deployed to fight in Iraq, although their re-deployment violated the terms of their contracts with the military, and they did not want to return to the war zone. Stop Loss, a compelling hybrid of the documentary and narrative genres, raises interesting issues for consideration on Veteran's Day.6. The Tillman Story - 2010
The Weinstein Company
News of the death of Corporal Pat Tillman, U.S. Army Ranger and former NFL football player, in April of 2004, during his deployment in Afghanistan, made banner headlines and set the entire nation -- not just sports fans -- into mourning. The story of Tillman’s life and of his untimely death by friendly fire is one that lends itself to legend, and to great documentary cinema. This film is a moving tribute to a fallen hero, as well as an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
7. Soldiers of Conscience - 2007
Docurama
Soldiers of Conscience profiles eight American soldiers, four of whom believe that killing is wrong and refuse to kill, and four of whom believe that killing in times and under the conditions of warfare is necessary and acceptable. This well-balanced documentary shows that most combat personnel grapple with the morality of killing, and that whether they decide to kill or refuse to do so, the issue has lasting effects on their lives, outlooks and future behavior. Available on DVD (Compare Prices).
8. Waltz With Bashir - 2008
Sony Pictures Classics
In Waltz With Bashir, documentary filmmaker Ari Folman investigates the meaning of his own troubling dreams and memories generated by his wartime experiences while fighting with the Israeli army in Lebanon. The film, produced entirely in animation which gives it a disturbingly surrealistic and dreamlike quality, pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, making it a profoundly compelling and creative representation of the horrors of war and their long-lasting effects on the human psyche. Available on DVD (Compare Prices).
9. Wartorn 1861-2010 - 2010
Most soldiers returning from combat experience severe depression, sleep disorders and other symptoms collectively known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Wartorn presents the history of the effects of war on combat veterans from the time of the U.S. Civil War -- when doctors called it hysteria, melancholia and insanity -- the to the present, when -- according to authorities -- suicide among veterans is increasing. This is an extremely important and well made film.10. Winter Soldier - 1972
Millarium ZERO
Winter Soldier brings to life one of the most troubled periods in recent U.S. history -- the Vietnam Era. While war continued to rage overseas, 125 Vietnam veterans from all branches of the military gathered in a Howard Johnson's motel in Detroit on January 31, 1971, to speak out about the atrocities they had committed and witnessed while on active duty. This is the record of their testimony. Available on DVD (Compare Prices).
