These stories of heartache, confusion, and anger combine to form a gallery of art that illuminates the conundrums of warfare and testifies to the philosophical instincts of the American soldier.
Operation Homecoming: Writing The Wartime Experience (2007)
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Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:16
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.6/10
Theatrical Release:Feb 9, 2007 Limited
Synopsis: An exploration of the firsthand accounts of American troops through their own words, the film is built upon the 'Operation Homecoming' initiative created by the National Endowment for the Arts to... An exploration of the firsthand accounts of American troops through their own words, the film is built upon the 'Operation Homecoming' initiative created by the National Endowment for the Arts to gather the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through interviews and dramatic readings by such actors including, Robert Duvall, Josh Lucas, Beau Bridges, Blair Underwood, Justin Kirk, Aaron Eckhart, Chris Gorham and John Krasinski, the film transforms selections from this collection of writing into a deep examination of the experiences of the men and women who are serving in America's armed forces. At the same time, it provides context to these experiences through a broader look at the universal themes of war literature. -- © Official Site. [More]
Director: Richard E. Robbins
Director: Richard E. Robbins
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Reviews for Operation Homecoming: Writing The Wartime Experience
Operation Homecoming is a spinoff from an anthology of essays, e-mail messages, poems and letters from soldiers in Iraq.
They're stories of war that resonate with anyone who has ever been in a war zone, and they illustrate beautifully for those who have not seen battle, just what combat can do to a person's soul.
A sobering reminder that war is more than smartly-dressed politicians exchanging barbs about what's best for America.
Robbins' docu, initiated by the NEA, tries to convey the subjective feeling and thoughts of soldiers through their writing, be they letters, poems, or stories. By necessity, this collection, which is read by pro actors, is varied in interest and quality.
When is a documentary NOT a documentary? When it's this. Definately worth a look.
Flaws aside, Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience has much value, both as an artistic and historical document.
Operation Homecoming at first seems like a modest enterprise, a document of a few guys' paths to personal catharsis. But the sense of damaged intensity found in all these men's writing builds to a powerful crescendo.
Operation Homecoming never quite captures anything so poignant or precise, rather falling into seemingly endless variations of 'war is hell.'
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience is an eloquent manifestation of the notion articulated in John Fowles's The Magus that "It is not countries that go to war, but men."
It provides an illuminating portrait of the mind-set of those men and women serving overseas.
The sometimes uneven quality of the imagery serves to highlight the shattering honesty of these barings of the soul.
The anthology format would fit better on TV, as would director Richard E. Robbins' unfortunate use of cheesy slo-mo re-enactments. When Robbins flickers through a series of photos of the fallen, the rapid cutting becomes absurd and dehumanizing.
Robbins war documentary is for the spectator to come to terms with what's occurring on the battle field and it gives a wonderful impartial view of the current war...
A different approach from more straightforward Iraq War documentaries. And the film definitely has effective moments, especially those dealing with grief and the rough transition from military to civilian life.
The cumulative effect of Operation Homecoming is to bring to light the soldiers' collective experiences and the enduring nightmares they suffer in our place.
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