"You are his witness now. Without a witness, they just disappear."Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming.REVIEWA muted, dignified film that boasts limited dialog
and gorgeous Western scenery, it speaks to something that is desperately needed in the wake of current events over the last seven years: namely meditative, apolitical understanding that war is not merely platitudes, large, grand declarations of duty or the bombs, bullets and destruction that audiences tend to get dulled into complacency but is also about deep, implacable loss and the ability to accept, continue and believe in the face of it. A movie probably meant for the big screen but fits much more comfortably and intimately as a television film, this film is a far too rare examination of the kind of experiences that many servicemen and/or family of servicemen endure during a time of long, protracted war. Ready for a sobering look at the current conflict in Iraq through clear, gentle eyes? Look this one up.
July 8, 2010
