Product Description

'This is War' tells the story of what it means to be in combat in Iraq through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. This documentary follows nine National Guard soldiers from Oregon who ended up in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Most of t

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50698 in DVD
• Brand: MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS
• Released on: 2007-12-11
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Original recording remastered, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 82 minutes

Features

• "This is War" tells the story of what it means to be in combat in Iraq through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. This documentary follows nine National Guard soldiers from Oregon who ended up in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Most of the photographs and footage were taken from the cameras of the soldiers themselves giving the viewer rare access to the front lines in place

Amazon.com
Among the many documentaries about America’s involvement in the Iraq War, This Is War is one of the most personal. A video diary about the experiences of an Oregon National Guard battalion sent to Iraq for a year in 2004, This Is War is divided into short chapters that bring home multiple aspects of a difficult and dangerous mission. Beginning with the troops emotionally preparing for a half-year’s combat training and gradually acclimating to Iraq’s tremendous heat, the film traces a gradual awareness of day-to-day realities and responsibilities where the enemy is often unseen. While the soldiers know the predictability of their own movements make them constantly subject to attack, there is little they can do about it, and when assaults come they watch and adapt as their teammates die. Told anecdotally, this video collage offers many specifics about events most of us only know through general knowledge about the war’s progress. While Brian De Palma’s Redacted was a protest against official control of information coming out of the Iraq War--told from the point-of-view of a faux video diary--This Is War is the real thing, and is a richer experience for its marriage of the Guardsmen’s cynical yet workaday ethic and muted emotions about the horrors and treachery that surround them. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

A moving documentry
This was shot by solders and totally a-political. Follows one group of the Oregon National Guard in 2004. Not too graphic but real enough. We can't thank these guys enough.

A video gem
I just finished watching this. Excellent. Its' a-political but if you hate the war, you probably won't like it because this shows how are National Guardsmen, ones who really serve their country and sacrifice as they usually leave better paying jobs and family to deploy, serving proudly and readily and facing real threats and ultimately loss.

These soldiers are a credit to the Army and to the Oregon National Guard. They serve with honor and grit and the story they tell is profoundly moving as real and not contemporary "feelings" and complaining and whatnot. This documentary covers some of the toughest periods to serve in Iraq, mid 2004 thru 2005.

I highly recommend this video. I wish the "where are they now" at the end could have been more inclusive, but maybe the ones that were left out, decided not to participate. It's still a job well done.

I'm an Army vet and have friends serving in Iraq now and this film touched me as I hoped it would.

Good realistic view of war
As a returned Iraq war vet I can tell you this is a good glimpse of what war is like. A good addition to any vets library.