Monday, October 31, 2011

Exploration 7

What struck me most on the documentary "Restrepo" was how easily the men out in Korengal Valley moved from complete chaos to every day activities so easily. Also, how casually and seriously they speak about death. One minute they would be shooting off their guns and firing missals and the next they would go back to eating, singing, building, or playing games as if nothing had happen. The two extremes seemed almost unnatural in a very realistic way. The me could talk about the war and its effects so casually and humorously, but they could also talk about them seriously with the full weight and devastation it caused. For example Hijar said, "The only hope I have right now is to maybe process it differently...I never want to forget it". This was in regards to what had happened to him and how it affected him afterwards. In contrast, another soldier said, "He's fucking pink mist right now". It is amazing how these soldiers talk about what goes on with such carelessness yet, they also speak with such weight about some of the things that went on in the valley.

The scene that was most memorable to me in the documentary is a toss up between rock avalanche and the scene where it shows the soldiers going home. Rock avalanche was memorable for me, because it showed the true magnitude of what was going on in the valley and that the soldiers were not only fighting for our country, but fighting for their lives. The scene where the soldiers are going home was very memorable to me, because of the pure joy and happiness each soldier showed not only by their words but by their body language and facial expressions. Not a single soldier was sad to go. The chaos made them appreciate what they had at home and made them so excited to return home to their families alive.

I would definitely recommend this documentary to friends and family. This film shows what really went on for american soldiers over seas and what their lives were like while they were fighting for our country, I think it is important for people to see this so they can understand what is going on and why it is so valuable that we understand why we are there and why we are fighting. I thought it was a very good documentary and enjoyed watching it.

3 comments:

  1. Leslie, I also noticed how the men would be almost flippant or dismissive at times in the way they talked about war, but when it really came down to it, there was a profound change in the language they used, as if every word meant so much and as if words were not enough. That felt very real and I enjoyed that contrast, too.

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  2. Great point about the extremes of daily life and war. This stood out to me also.

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  3. It seems like the men never had a chance to rest. They're like super humans on how they handled everything so directly.

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