Generation Kill (2008)

 

 Today is the 18th anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Here is your study guide for the best miniseries on the event.

                    “Generation Kill” is an HBO miniseries based on the nonfiction book by Evan Wright.  Wright was an embedded reporter who traveled with 2^nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1^st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  Wright rode in the lead Humvee on the journey to Baghdad.  The book was developed into a series by David Simon of “The Wire”.  He and his writing partner Ed Burns wrote the screenplay, with input from Wright.  The episodes were directed by either Susanna White or Simon Jones.  HBO spent $56 million on the series.  Filming lasted 5 ½ months in South Africa, Mozambique, and Namibia.  The cast was put through a six day boot camp by Rudy Reyes and Eric Kocher.  They both appear in the miniseries, with Reyes playing himself and Kocher playing a different sergeant. 

                    The series opens with a convoy of Humvees traversing the desert and opening fire on an enemy vehicle.  Before you can say “queue flashback”, it turns out that this is pre-invasion and the Marines are on a mock combat exercise.  The scene establishes that these Marines have never been in battle.  The next scene, set in a communal tent, establishes that these men are looking forward to combat with the bravado of frat boys.  Into the salacious banter and horseplay comes a civilian journalist from Rolling Stone (Lee Tergesen).  This outsider (never referred to by name) will accompany Sgt. Colbert’s (Alexander Skarsgard) Humvee on their assigned mission to secure a bridge over the Euphrates.  In the Humvee are the driver Cpl. Person (James Ransone) and Lance Cpl. Trombley (Billy Lusgh).  Person talks nonstop as he is fueled with Ripped Fuel (among other energy sources) and Trombley is a hick who can’t wait to kill someone or something.  Sitting in front of the bemused Wright  is “Iceman” Colbert.  He gets his nickname from being imperturbable, basically the opposite of Person/Trombley.  His catch phrase is “stay frosty.”  The series concentrates on these indelible characters, but several other characters from the platoon are developed and some time is spent with Bravo, and even Alpha Company.

                    The series covers the forty-day journey from their base in Kuwait to Baghdad.  For most of this time the 1^ST Recon Btln. is the tip of the spear for the whole offensive and Colbert’s Humvee is in front.  Although trained for stealthy reconnaissance, Gen. Mattis uses them to poke hives.  He was a disciple of Napoleon’s maxim:  “Toujours l’audace”.  One of the themes of the series is that the unit was given missions that it was ill-suited for and given equipment that was ill-suited for the mission.  The battalion’s commander, Lt. Col. Ferrando (Chance Kelly) buys into Mattis’ risky tactics and pushes the unit to be bold in encountering the enemy, no matter the fact that he is often unsure what the odds will be.  The Marines react with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation.   In the most exemplary incident, Ferrando sends the unit to rush an airfield where they are warned they will face tanks.  It works out, so this makes the theme that the higher up the hierarchy you go, the more the incompetence.  The series definitely reinforces the belief that sergeants are the key leaders in the military since Vietnam.  But unlike the Vietnam War movie trope of the green, clueless LT, the problem in Iraq was apparently at the captain level as the series is very harsh on “Encino Man” and “Captain America”. 

                    There is going to be a lot of confusion throughout as the mission keeps changing and so do the rules of engagement.  Long periods of boredom will be punctuated by moments of adrenalin-boosting firefights and rides through ambushes in unarmored Humvees.  In between the bursts of combat, the Marines interact like young Americans on an armed road trip through a foreign country.  The banter and behavior reinforces the ugly American stereotype, but also accurately reflects the generation that was called to service after 9/11.  Contrast it to the Greatest Generation depicted in “Band of Brothers” and you will see how much America has changed.

                    I will not summarize the plot.  (See below for episode synopses.)  The series has a running time of 470 minutes.  If you watch it expecting a lot of combat, you will be disappointed.  The fact is that the invasion of Iraq was a mostly battle-less affair.  The regular Iraqi army put up little opposition, but there were encounters with irregular units and jihadists (which the generals were ill-prepared for).  This partly explains the questionable use of the 1^st Recon.  But in spite of the head-scratching reaction of the grunts, the brazen use of the unit by Mattis and Ferrando works and with shockingly low casualties.  One is left to wonder if Colbert and the others were just plain lucky. One thing is clear, the Iraqi fighters are much less competent than the “Black Hawk Down” opponents.  They make “Star Wars” stormtroopers look like sharpshooters.  Although there is a lack of combat, when things heat up, the series is stellar in its staging.  The cinematography is enhanced in the night actions by the look from night-vision goggles.

                    Don’t let the lack of combat discourage you from watching “Generation Kill”.  The acting and dialogue are the draw.  The acting draws parallels to “Band of Brothers”.  The ensemble cast is very strong and several characters have become icons in the Marine community.  The series launched the career of Alexander Skarsgard in a manner similar to Damian Lewis in BoB.  James Ransone provides the most unforgettable performance as Person.  He gets the best lines (see below).  Billy Lush creates the amusingly unlikeable Trombley.  My favorite character is “Doc” Bryan (Johan Lotan) who acts as the conscience of the unit.  Stark Sands is great as Lt. Fick.  Fick gets in trouble for standing up to his superiors when he recognizes idiocy, but he also becomes a symbol that in the end, rank trumps competency.  Another standout is Jon Huerta as Sgt. “Poke” Espera.  Espera represents the minority make-up of the modern Marine Corps.  A poor Hispanic, he was best friends with the middle class Colbert.  Espera is constantly harping on the white man’s oppression, but he admits the Corps is the best thing that ever happened to him.  Finally, I need to mention that as far as characters are concerned, it is a nearly all male affair.  Only one female has a speaking role – an Iraqi woman who questions whether the Americans are really there to improve the lives of Iraqis.

                    If you are familiar with David Simon, you know he is one of the best screenwriters around.  He is famous for “Homicide” and “The Wire”.  The dialogue is a real strength.  Some of the credit goes to Wright, who was part of the writing team and many of the best lines in the series are straight from his book.  Besides the pithy lines, the movie is heavy on slang, so it helps to be an American male when you are watching it.  To tell the truth, I don’t think many foreigners would find the series entertaining.  Unless they are looking for confirmation of biases against America.  I found the series to be overall a positive portrayal of the Marines, but not everyone will see it that way.  The realistic depiction of America’s young fighting men as irreligious, racist, and anti-gay may be disturbing to some Americans.  It helps to be an American to get the full effect of the “soundtrack”.  There is no score to queue emotions, but there is a lot of a capella songs by the characters.  These cover an eclectic range of popular hits. 

                    How accurate is it?  For those expecting a lot of action, it is too accurate.  There is very little combat enhancement.  I had read Wright’s book when the series first ran and then read it again when I rewatched the series for this review.  The series conforms to the book as well as any movie/book that I have reviewed.  There are no significant incidents in the series that are not in the book and all the significant incidents in the book made it into the series. 

                    Since this is more like the story of a unit at war (like “Band of Brothers”), it is less of a combat movie.  It is the best movie/series on the invasion of Iraq.  Although it does not cover much after the fall of Baghdad, it portends the problems we would encounter after “mission accomplished”.  This is because a well-advanced theme is the military was ill-prepared for the war and thus not prepared for the aftermath.  Mattis’ strategy of adjusting on the fly may have been wildly successful, but it was not a stable foundation for the peace.  This is just one of several eye-opening themes the series advances.  One is the Marines are step-children when it comes to supplies and equipment.  I already mentioned the “hurry up and wait” nature of warfare.  It is clear that even in the disciplined Marine Corps, the lower officers have to bite their tongues a lot when given orders by their superiors and sometimes the men at the very tip of the spear might disobey orders for the good of their men.  There is a constant refrain of “this isn’t what we trained for.”  On the other hand, the series makes the case that the higher-ups view war as a game that will lead to promotions.  Several times Ferrando mentions getting “back in the game” by launching another risky mission.  Most intriguing is the theme that the men consider killing to be the big payoff for all their training.   Not getting to shoot someone was a major disappointment for most.   And yet, most (not the Trombleys) are upset with the collateral damage to civilians.  More than the generals and politicians, these grunts realized that the mistreatment of civilians screwed up the goals of the war.

                    “Generation Kill” is usually overlooked when war movie fans discuss the best war series.  While not quite on the level of the GOAT “Band of Brothers”, it is definitely in the top five.  If you pair it with “The Long Road Home”, you get educated about the Iraqi War and the aftermath.  (It is bewildering to realize that the unit in “The Long Road Home” suffers many more casualties in one day than the 1^st Reconnaissance Battalion suffered in 40 days.)   Better yet, watch “Band of Brothers” and then “Generation Kill” to see how the military has changed.  And in many ways, has stayed the same.  Both series took best-selling books and brought them to TV with great fidelity.

GRADE  =  A

FAVORITE QUOTES:

White man’s gotta rule the world.  -  Espera

This is like Gilligan’s Island.  They’re giving us rocks and coconuts to  make radios and shit.  -  Person

Police that mustache.  Y’all starting to look like Elvises.  -  Sixta

The Marine Corps is like America’s pit bull.  They beat us, they kick us, and every once in a while they let us out to kill someone.  -  Person

If Saddam invested more in the pussy infrastructure of Iraq than he did on his fucking gay-ass  army, then this country would be no more fucked up than say Mexico. – Person

Welcome to Iraq, bitches!  -  Person

Stay frosty.  -  Colbert 

Shut up, Ray.  -  Colbert, numerous times

You ladies bitch if you get an MRE without a fucking pop tart.  -  Colbert, comparing his men to the Iraqis 

Thank you!  Vote Republican!  -  Colbert to waving Iraqis

I didn’t get to shoot yet.  -  Trombly 

Gentlemen, from now on we’re gonna have to earn our stories.  -  Colbert

Man, we keep making the same fucking mistakes.  -  Colbert

Shoot some civilians, get a reputation. 

One thing that’s not overrated is combat.  -  Ferrando

Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield.  That was pretty fucking ninja.  -  Colbert 

Peace sucks a hairy asshole.  War is the motherfucking answer.  -  Person 

You know, Poke, guys in black pajamas did alright in Vietnam, too.  You gotta respect the pajama.  -  Colbert 

 EPISODE 1:  Get Some -  The unit is preparing to go to war, which it is looking forward to.  We are introduced to the main characters, and a reporter who shows up to be embedded with Colbert’s team.  The main theme is they have been given poor equipment and lack of supplies.  The main chicken shit aspect of the military that is explored is the dress code which forbids mustaches that are too big.  The overall vibe is a frat house before the big homecoming parade. 

EPISODE 2:  The Cradle of Civilization -  They are part of a convoy and immediately get in a traffic jam. However, they are soon sent off on their own to basically drive into ambushes.  The main theme is they will be asked to do missions that is not in their job description.  For instance, they roll through a town in their unarmored Humvees and are ambushed.  Captain America makes his debut as an incompetent leader of Sgt. Kocher’s platoon.

EPISODE 3:  Screwby -  This episode develops the idea that the mistreatment of civilians will taint their efforts.  While parked outside a peaceful village, another unit comes along and opens fire on women and children.  “Hit Man” is developed as an officer who is sincere, but not good at his job.  They take friendly fire from a reservist unit.  This is the episode with the questionable airfield raid.  The theme is that 1^st Recon is being used by “Godfather” to impress Mattis.  The whiplash depiction of Ferrando is confirmed by his reaction to a boy injured by Trombly’s reckless fire. 

EPISODE 4:  Combat Jack -  Alpha Company, led by the competent Capt. Patterson (Michael Kelly), is involved with the capture of Ash Shatrah.  The episode juxtaposes the Marines’ obsession with finding a supposedly crucified Marine with the cynical attitude toward a Chaplain.  Bravo Company establishes a road block and we get a taste of the conundrum of following the rules of engagement when the victims might not be aware of the rules.

EPISODE 5:  A Burning Dog -  The episode concentrates on crossing a bridge and then rolling through the city of Al Kut.  One theme is that the Afghanistan war was run better.  The attack is at night and results in the best combat scene in the series.  Bravo Company is ambushed before reaching the bridge.  If not clear already, we now are assured that Iraqi warriors are very bad shots and Americans are the opposite, especially at night.  The ratio of Iraqi casualties to American is very high.

EPISODE 6:  Stay Frosty -  This episode develops the fact that Captain America gets praised for his crazy actions, and Lt. Flick gets reamed for questioning bad orders.  Wright asks what they are doing in Iraq if there are no WMDs, but the men don’t really care about politics.  Ferrando talks Mattis into sending the battalion to hunt for an armored division so they can “get back in the game”. 

EPISODE 7:  Bomb in the Garden -  They reach Baghdad and are stationed in an cigarette factory.  Their mission is to maintain law and order, but they are forbidden to patrol at night, even thought that is when the bad guys hold sway.  The theme is that America is fucking things up.  The denouement from the adrenalin-fueled rush to the capital leads to depression.  Colbert tries to fill the void by taking on unexploded bombs.  The series closes with the men watch a home-made video of their greatest hits.

DISCREPANCIES FROM THE BOOK:

Ferrando is the one who is obsessed with grooming.  The series puts this all on the shoulders of Sgt. Sixta. 

Colbert was not in the lead when the company took the wrong road.

The book does not cover Iraqi freedom fighters being tasked with taking Ash Shatrah. 

When Alpha Company goes into Ash Shatrah, the Iraqi army flees without a fight.

The book does not have an Iraqi woman chewing out Colbert for what America is doing to her country.

There was no football game between Bravo and Alpha, but Patterson did punch Hit Man (who is called Encino Man in the book).

Wright does not mention the watching of the video.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT -  These seemingly made-up incidents are actually in the book.

The men did make fun of letters sent by children.

There was a sandstorm that almost knocked down their tent.

Pizza Hut did deliver pizzas before the big push.

Marines do hate Charms because they consider them bad luck.

Captain America did shoot a parked car with an AK-47.

A .50 caliber machine gun on a Humvee did bring down a building. 

Trombly did shoot at some camels and ended up wounding a boy, who is brought into their camp.  Ferrando did refuse evacuation, then changed his mind.  Trombly was an asshole as he is portrayed as in the series. 

They did treat the Chaplain with disrespect.

They did find a drug stash when searching a village.  Colbert did tell them to leave it alone. 

Captain America did try to stab a prisoner.

Wright did run serpentine to avoid being sniped, to the amusement of the others. 

Four of them did break into an office building to vandalize an office. 

Colbert did take care of an unexploded bomb in a garden.  Flick did stop him from taking on another. 

An engineer did step on a mine.  Captain America did order them to take a short cut which resulted in them getting stuck.

DUELING MOVIES: Gardens of Stone (1987) vs. Taking Chance (2009)

VS.

                 There are so many war movies that we actually have two that deal with U.S. military death rituals.  “Gardens of Stone” is set in the Vietnam War and dramatizes the role of the Old Guard in the burial of servicemen at Arlington National Cemetery.  “Taking Chance” is the story of the transfer of a victim of Operation Iraqi Freedom to burial by his family.  Both movies are sincere attempts to enlighten on a topic that is rarely the aftermath of all the celluloid bloodshed.

                “Gardens of Stone” is a Francis Ford Coppola film that came eight years after “Apocalypse Now”.  An eight year period of forgotten films.  The movie was based on a novel by Nicholas Profitt.  It takes its name from a nickname for Arlington National Cemetery.  Coppola had a vastly different experience dealing with the Pentagon on this film.  Because of the sincerity of the project, the military gave total cooperation including filming at Fort Myers and technical advice to assure the accuracy of the rituals.  The script was readily accepted with just the usual quibbling about profanity.  James Caan came out of semi-retirement (he had not made a movie in five years due to a bad experience in the making of “Kiss Me Goodbye”) to play the lead.   As though the production was not somber enough, Coppola’s eldest son was killed in a boating accident during the filming.  The boat was piloted by a drunken cast member.

 

                The movie is set in 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War, around the time the war was souring in America.  Sgt. Hazard (Caan) is a veteran of Korea and Vietnam who is moldering as part of the Old Guard at Fort Myers.  He knows the war is fouled up.  “It’s not even a war.  There’s nothing to win and no way to win it.”  (Not a bad analysis.)  He longs to be transferred to a training position so he can use his wisdom to save a few of the lambs being led to slaughter.  And prevent them from becoming one of the constant stream of corpses his unit deals with every day.  His commanding officer and best friend Sgt. Major Nelson (James Earl Jones) has a bon homme style to balance Hazard’s moroseness.  Some of this is also tempered by his relationship with a liberal lady journalist named Samantha (Anjelica Houston).  Her anti-war philosophy has no effect on their feelings toward each other.  While wooing Sam, Hazard has found a protégé in a new arrival in the unit named Willow (D.B. Sweeney).  If Hazard can’t go to Vietnam or even the training school, he is determined to help the gung-ho Willow survive when he reaches there.  (No need to mention that his death is the most obvious in war movie history since the movie opens with his funeral.)

Nelson and Hazard discuss how to
win the Vietnam War

                “Gardens of Stone” is not based on a true story, but it does honor the 1^st Battalion, 3^rd Infantry Regiment. Known as the Old Guard, the unit is in charge of Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  As such, it does a reverential job in depicting the service of these men.  The stress of such a job is clearly shown.  The movie is educational about military burial procedures and if you have seen “Born on the Fourth of July”, it will have you pondering the gulf between treatment of the wounded and the dead during the Vietnam War.

                Coppola’s string of misfires did not end with this movie.  The strong cast and fine acting cannot lift a mundane script.  It is the opposite of “Apocalypse Now” in verve.  That is best seen when you compare Col. Kilgore from “Apocalypse” to Hazard - the culturally and socially sensitive warrior who collects Persian rugs and acts as a father figure to Willow.  The plot was so unimpressive that the military vetters went so far as to suggest some creative changes (along with their concerns with the potty mouths).  The somber music by Coppola’s father does not help.  Neither does the ripe dialogue and the two unrealistic romantic subplots.  Hazard’s relationship with Sam survives his punching out a mouthy pacifist friend of hers.  Even this does not lead to any meaningful debate on the war between the two.  Meanwhile, Willow is courting a girl that threatens to break it off if he insists on going to the Nam, but when he plays the duty card, she backs down immediately.  The biggest problem is in Coppola’s lack of focus as far as the theme.  Although clearly anti-war, the movie takes no stand on the Vietnam War itself.  Coppola claimed the real theme of the film is the family nature of the military and the traditions and rituals that are so admirable even to most doves.

                “Taking Chance” covers similar ground but without the melodrama.  The movie was based on an essay written by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl.  Strobl was a Persian Gulf War veteran who was consigned to a desk job during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  His mixed feelings about choosing family over a tour led to his volunteering to escort the body of Chance Phelps back to his home in Montana.  The diary he kept of the week led to the essay and it was optioned by HBO.  Strobl co-wrote the screenplay and won a Writers’ Guild of America award.  The movie was so well made that it was shown at the Sundance Festival.  It premiered on HBO to the highest audience for an original film in the previous five years.  It was nominated for ten Emmies and star Kevin Bacon won the Golden Globe and Screen Writer’s Guild awards for acting in a miniseries or television movie.  The movie was so well received that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted that it was a factor in allowing the press access to the transfer of bodies at Dover Air Force Base.

                The movie opens in April, 2004.  A black screen does not distract from the noises of combat that resulted in the death of a PFC Phelps near Riwadi in Iraq.  (He was on a machine gun in a Humvee escorting a convoy  when he was hit during an ambush.)  Two Marines arrive at a rural home in Montana.  After that subtle set-up, we meet Strobl.  He is languishing pushing paper while his brethren fight and die for their country.  The least he can do is honor their sacrifice.  He volunteers to escort Chance’s body.  The movie has almost a documentary feel as it walks us through all the steps of the process.  Strobl is our framing agent as he goes where the corpse goes and encounters the respectful public along the way.  The movie culminates with the funeral with all its military trappings.

 

                The word that best describes “Taking Chance” is sincere.  You will not get a better tutorial on how the military treats a fallen hero in the modern age.  This realism is at the sacrifice of drama, however.  I have no reason to believe the movie is not very accurate.  In that case, can you complain about the absence of false theatrics?  No, but there is absolutely no conflict in the movie.  The movie skips the scene where the parents learn about their son’s death.  It also does not flashback to Chance’s death.  No one utters a negative word.  Every person, even strangers, is properly respectful.  The movie is apolitical and has nothing to say about the war Phelps died in.  There is no attempt to question whether Strobl was wise to stay home with his wife and kids.  It is not cut from the modern war movie style.  Compare it to “In the Valley of Elah”, for instance.  Unlike most war movies about America’s post-WWII wars, there is no theme of our dead soldiers deserve better or Americans do not care about their sacrifices.  It is not an overtly emotional movie.  Bacon won some acting awards, but to tell the truth it was an easy role.  He plays a Marine (with no PTSD) returning a dead body.  ‘Nuf said.

                These are two radically different movies on similar subjects.  Both are worth viewing so you can see the rituals involved in military funerals.  “Gardens of Stone” burdens the tutorial with a melodrama that is not strong.  “Taking Chance” is almost a docudrama and is straight-forward.   “Gardens of Stone” has the added burden of being a perplexing misfire from a supposedly great director.  “Taking Chance” was an overachiever.

GARDENS OF STONE  =  C

TAKING CHANCE  =  B         

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

 

                “In the Valley of Elah” is based on the true story of the death of Richard Davis.  Davis was killed by fellow soldiers upon his return from Iran.  His father, a retired military policeman, investigated the case.  The story first appeared in an article entitled “Death and Dishonor” by Mark Boals.  It was adapted by Paul Haggis (“Crash”) who also directed.  The movie was a box office flop, but garnered positive critical reviews.

                In Nov. 1, 2004, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) gets a call that his son is back in the States, but AWOL. He goes off to find out what is up.  He passes by the local high school which has the American flag hanging upside down (a distress signal that is foreshadowing and a clear metaphor).  The son’s body is found dismembered and stabbed numerous times.  Naturally, the military is not obsessed with investigating it, so Hank sinks his teeth into it.  He forms a partnership with a local cop named Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron).  The clichés start flying as the grieving mother (Susan Sarandon) blames Hank for encouraging their son to join the military.  All of Mike’s mates claim he was a great guy and they all have the same story about the night’s events.  Of course the military tries to cover-up the details.  There are a couple of false leads to advance themes of prejudice and post-traumatic stress disorder.  PTSD is the major theme and is used even in a subplot where a veteran kills his wife after Sanders was unable to intervene.  It is the explanation for what actually happened that fateful night.  Somebody with a knife snapped.   Stuff happens due to stress.  It just happens.  Deerfield returns home and raises the flag upside down.

                “In the Valley of Elah” is a message movie.  The message is delivered undeftly.  War corrupts youth and the effects of war can lead to tragedy at home.  This theme is wrapped around a mystery which is unsatisfying.  The obligatory twist is that Mike was not as innocent as the official record would have shown if his dad didn’t poke his nose into the perfunctory investigation.  Be careful when you start turning over rocks, Hank.  The twist is unrealistic, as is the motive for the killing.  How Haggis gets to his moral is built on a weak foundation.  Where the movie succeeds is in the acting department.  Jones is solid, as is to be expected.  Theron holds her own and there is some chemistry there.  The supporting cast is full of recognizable stars, but Sarandon is criminally underused.  The military family dynamic between the Deerfields is realistic and instructional.  Hank dominates their marriage like Jones dominates the screen.  Their relationship is unfortunately genuine, which is more than can be said of the inter-unit relationships in Mike’s squad.

                The movie is well made.  The bells and whistles in the cinematography come by way of cell phone videos from the front.  This gives the film an immediacy and a modern war feel.  The problem is the videos don’t really pan out as the key to solving the mystery.

 

                SPOILER ALERT:  How accurate is the movie?  It is based on a story by Mark Boals that appeared in Playboy magazine.  Haggis read the story and was inspired to write the screenplay, with input from Boals.  The names are changed in the film, but the basic story is the same.  However, the role of the father is substantially enhanced and there was no female cop involved.  Richard Davis was from a family with a strong military heritage.  His father was a veteran and had been a military policeman.  Richard was a good soldier who relished being a warrior and played the part as his generation imagined it.  When his unit was deployed to Iraq to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he looked forward to seeing action that would provide him some "war stories" to tell his father when he returned home.  Eventually he got his wish in a firefight in Baghdad.  In the aftermath of the intense urban combat, Richard tortured a prisoner he was guarding by poking his wound.  Later, when his unit was guarding a large number of tractor-trailers containing munitions, he participated in the wanton swiss-cheesing of any vehicle that approached the site suspiciously.  After the adrenalin rush of the early days, the occupation period brought mainly frustration.  Long patrols in the heat with 60 pounds of equipment, lack of showers, and lack of rations resulted in frustration and a decline in morale for Davis and his mates.  Another torturing of a prisoner indicated the impact of the war on the typically American Davis.  He started to go on one man raids to acquire souvenirs.  Meanwhile, B Company became increasingly dysfunctional.  Davis was just one of many that were suffering from PTSD.

 

                Within a few days of returning to the States, Richard was declared AWOL from Fort Benning, Ga.  After more than a month of no news, Lanny Davis made the trip to Georgia to start his own investigation.  He met stone walls from the Army and returned home after three days.  He contacted his Congressman who got the Department of Defense involved.  Soon Army detectives got the first break when one B Comany member broke the silence to tell of scuttlebutt that Richard's body was in an isolated location.  The body was located and the four soldiers who were with him the night of his death were arrested.  Interrogations brought out the story of what happened.  Davis and four of his comrades went out drinking and got thrown out of a strip club (most likely because Davis was being obnoxious).  In the parking lot, Jacob Burgoyne started punching Richard, but things calmed down and the five got back into the car and drove off aimlessly.  Eventually they stopped in an isolated area and the fight resumed with Mario Navarette joining Burgoyne.  Suddenly, Alberto Martinez advanced with a knife and before he was finished Davis had been stabbed over 30 times.  The body was burned and hidden until found months later.  Burgoyne turned state's evidence and although Lanny Davis disagrees with the official version of the crime, it seems likely that the prosecution got it right.

                Although a bit heavy-handed, “In the Valley of Elah” is so sincere you can’t dislike it.  Unless you are an arch-conservative hawk, you have to admit the movie covers a serious issue.  The war in Iraq was so unconventional that American boys brought up partly on conventional war movies came back messed up, sometimes.  The American public needs to know that and this movie helps.  America is like the elder Deerfield – living in the black and white past.  Iran and Afghanistan are grey.

Grade =  B-