Restrepo

Even if documentary films are not your normal form of entertainment, I strongly encourage everyone to see this film. The depiction of the life for our military is pure and honest. “Restrepo,” is a documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The movie and outpost, “Restrepo,” are named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. The emotion of our soldiers is so rarely seen, but this film provides a perfect snapshot of what the mental difficulties of the war are like for the soldiers.

An aspect of the war that is too often forgotten is the faceless soldiers. We may know someone that is serving in the military, but what about the men and women we don't know. They are just as important and they are the family for the soldiers away from home. The bond they create with each other is amazing. This film provides a face to the soldiers that protect our freedom. The film is engaging and absorbing as a collection of moments and scenes, detailing what everyday life is like. By providing a face and a name to the soldiers, we gain our own emotional bond to them. One face that stands out for me is U.S. Army Sgt. Misha Pemble-Belkin who is from Hillsboro, Oregon. The stories he tells of his childhood growing up in Oregon are as real as the reality he experienced in Afghanistan.

Tim Hetherington, one of the documentary film producers, directors and cameramen, was killed recently covering the conflict in Libya. In his memory, and to the brave men and women that risk their lives for the freedom we have in America, the film honestly deserves all 5 Quacks. Look for the film on the National Geographic Channel or rent it.

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