
The War Tapes
2006, Documentary, 1h 37m
65 Reviews 1,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Candid, eye-opening footage gives viewers a close-up -- and educational -- look at the experiences of American soldiers in Iraq, a viewpoint not normally seen. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
The War Tapes Photos
Movie Info
Filmmaker Deborah Scranton provides three U.S. soldiers with cameras so they can document their experiences during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers, Sgt. Steve Pink, Sgt. Zack Bazzi and Spc. Mike Moriarty, are all different ages and come from different backgrounds, but all three demonstrate unwavering loyalty to their comrades-in-arms while voicing concerns about America's reasons for its presence in Iraq.
Cast & Crew
Deborah Scranton
Director
Director
Robert May
Producer
Producer
Steve James
Producer
Producer
Chuck Lacy
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Zack Bazzi
Cinematography
Cinematography
P.H. O'Brien
Cinematography
Cinematography
Critic Reviews for The War Tapes
Audience Reviews for The War Tapes
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Jul 17, 2010Beat novelist and World War II veteran Jack Kerouac ceaselessly typed his second book onto tele-type paper taped together in one continuous scroll, such that the final product proved to be one expansive manic sentence. Thanks to the graces of his gifted editor, that sentence became On the Road, the now-classic tome on a search for identity in post-war America. Director Deborah Scranton had no less of a challenge in editing someone else's vision into the stark war narrative The War Tapes, in which she effectively communicates the incommunicable: War is a Hell that continues once the fighting has stopped. Culmed from over 700 hours of footage shot by three members of a National Guard deployment in Iraq, The War Tapes smartly forsakes a documentary format's supposed objectivity for a frank immersion into what may be one of America's darkest hours. Given a director's individual political, philosophical, and religious convictions, objectivity in documentaries proves an impossibility anyway, especially considering how awash our culture is in the subjective American media. The soldiers take notice of this and the corporate profiteers, testament to Scranton's choosing her narrators well, an astute mix of humor, pathos, courage, and, yes, hope. When Audie Murphy so wisely quipped "War is hell," there came the aspersion that heaven might also exist within the same continuum. Juxtaposing footage from the frontlines of war-torn Iraq with that of families on the homefront, The War Tapes only shows us that the same maudlin spirit seems to permeate the collective mindset-especially after the soldiers return as changed men-a telling commentary on how weary and identity-challenged our embattled society may have become. Bottom Line: A stark and frank home movie from Hell-on-Earth.Jeff B Super Reviewer
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May 30, 2007Make no mistake: The War Tapes is not an overtly political film. It appears to grind no partisan ax nor score either red or blue points. Whether viewers support the war or not -- or find themselves somewhere in the mushy middle -- this documentary won't fit comfortably into the pigeonholes of their preconceptions. JUST ONE WORD BRING THE SOLDIERS BACK HOME !!! I'M NOT AMERICAN BUT AM AN ARMY VOLUNTEER AND SEEING SOLDIERS DIE USELESSLY IS ARROGANT AND STUPID. GET IT BUSH???? ? Super Reviewer
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