The thing that struck me the most about the movie would have to be just how rough an environment Afghanistan is. Not only is it a rocky desert, but the soldiers were fighting right in the middle of a mountain belt. The Lieutenant summarizes it best when he says they "felt like fish in a barrel." The fact that they could have ambushed from all sides is a scary thought to think about.Another thing that struck me was the story of how the Restrepo base came into being. The fact that the base was built on top of a mountain during a fire fight is incredible. What also is amazing is how building that single base was a turning point in the war in the valley. I loved the soldiers quote of how "building the Restrepo base was like giving the enemy the middle finger".
The most memorable scene of the movie Restrepo would have to be when the men lose one of their own. I do not remember the name of the soldier who died, but the scene when his fellow men see his body is hard to forget. This is probably the strongest scene in the entire documentary.
I will totally recommend this movie mostly because I do not feel that people really know much about the war in Iraq. I know that before this movie I really did not think that there was much going on in the middle east now. Mostly because I never watch the news or read articles, but I think everyone should at least know one story about the men and woman who are fighting for our country.
Nice post. I like the quote about how building the Restrepo base was like giving the enemy the middle finger.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the film very exceptionally catches that "fish in a barrel" feeling that the Lieutenant brings up and I did have to chuckle at the middle finger bit as well. Although, just a note here, Restrepo is in Afghanistan, not Iraq, I think that was probably just a little slip but I thought I'd point it out just in case.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pretty awesome environmental sight. With all of the mountains, it is a shame that they have to hit the hills with bombs and such.
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