On DVD: Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq

 

 

Directed By: Jon Alpert, Ellen Goosenberg Kent

Produced by James Gandolfini

Starring: Sgt. Bryan Anderson, Sgt. Eddie Ryan, Sgt. Crystal Davis, First Lt. Dawn Halfaker, Pvt. Dexter Pitts, Cpl. Michael Jernigan, Cpl. Jonathan Bartlett, Staff Sgt. Jay Wilkerson, Cpl. Jacob Schick, Staff Sgt. John Jones, James Gandolfini

 

Attaboy Films and HBO Documentary Films brings us a film that is brilliant in its’ stark simplicity, showing us the true cost of war and the meaning of bravery.

 

The Movie

 

James Gandolfini (of Sopranos fame) interviews 10 soldiers who were, in various ways, severely wounded in Iraq. These men and woman, mostly in their early to mid 20s, discuss their ‘Alive Day’ which is the day they almost died. The documentary consists mostly of these veterans talking about their wounds and the changes in their life, insurgent footage of attacks and explosions and various statistics concerning the wounded in the Iraqi war (Example: More than one third of the wounded soldiers from Iraq suffer from traumatic brain injury).

 

This not, however, a film about the Iraqi war. It really isn’t about any specific war. This documentary is about the price paid by many soldiers who survive any war. We are shown, up close and under bright lights, the physical and emotional scars these people carry.

 

Each of these veterans show us the signs of their sacrifice; we closely see the stumps left behind from the amputations, the head scars from brain trauma, the gaps where a soldier’s eyes used to be. One may cringe at the physical damage paraded across the screen, but we are also shown the hearts of these people, displaying special courage not by what they have endured, but what they endure today and how they thrive and prosper.

 

No matter how positive these soldiers appear, there are still heartbreaking moments. Staff Sgt. Wilkerson talks about his inability to remember the names of his children. First Lt. Halfaker contemplates whether she’ll ever marry and have children and that, if so, she’ll never be able to hold that child with both arms. One of the saddest moments is Sgt. Ryan’s who, coached by his mother, tries to sing the Marine fight song.  

 

James Gandolfini made a very wise decision by appearing in this as little as possible. We occasionally see the side or back view of him and hear his voice when he asks a question, but we never see his well-known face up close and often don’t even hear the questions he has asked. He never detracts from the soldiers telling their story. His most visibility occurs when he shakes each veteran’s hand at end of their segment. At those moments I wanted to shake their hand, too. The documentary’s entire approach lets the words and scenes speak for themselves, unlike the theatrics that a Michael Moore may attempt to use to get their point across. No matter what side of the war issue you may be on, I encourage you to see this film.

 

9/10

 

The Video

 

Other than a short homemade video by Cpl. Bartlett, we see either grainy footage of insurgent attacks or the interviewees under very bright lights, sitting and showing us their various scars. The lighting helps to see what these veterans are trying to show us clearly.

 

8/10

 

The Audio

 

The audio, except for the insurgent footage, is very clear. There is mostly no musical score or ambient noise.

 

8/10

 

The Packaging and Bonus Features

 

The package was a sturdy yet standard amaray case. The cover shows three of the soldiers being interviewed. An insert in the case shows the covers of many other HBO Documentaries that are available.

 

There are no extras. We have PLAY and SELECT CHAPTER. Each Chapter, except for the intro, is each of the ten soldiers who are interviewed. I don’t think extras are needed in this case as I feel that this was a powerful documentary and extras would only distract you from the film.

 

6/10

 

This film displays an excellent use of the word ‘documentary’, as it documents the lives and the sacrifices of these ten soldiers showing them both as individuals and as part of the groups of veterans from all our wars who have paid a heavy price. Each is faced with the challenge to, as Pvt. Pitts says, to get control of their lives. Each is a story of bravery. As Cpl. Schick says near the end of the film, “The fight doesn’t stop when you get home. In our cases it’s just begun.”

 

Overall (Not an Average) 9/10

 

The Review

The Movie 9/10

The Video 8/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10

Overall (Not an Average) 9/10

 

Fredrick Grimm