Product Details

• Actors: Robert Hollis, Rana al Aiouby, Farhan al Bayati, Hesham Barbary, Raed Jarrar
• Directors: Stephen Marshall
• Producers: Anthony Lappé, Bob Jason, Ian Inaba, Jeff Hull, Joshua Shore
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Unknown)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Homevision
• DVD Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Run Time: 82 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BVNS6G
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,085 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "BattleGround - 21 Days on the Empire's Edge" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Tom Bissell, New York Times Magazine

"Few of the Iraq-war documentaries offer [much] self-awareness, though, and most neglect to address the war as a result of choices that might have been made differently. The one that comes closest is probably Stephen Marshall’s ‘Battleground.’ In showing us insurgents discussing their hatred of Americans while Humvees pass by, an Iraqi translator explaining that the invasion was due to the collapse of the American economy, a former anti-Saddam guerrilla reuniting with his mother after 13 years of exile and a U.S. officer marveling at the fact that Iraqis wear jeans ('They could be anywhere in the United States’), 'Battleground’ provides a movingly human and many-sided portrait of the war. It is, however, more the exception than the rule."

Product Description

BATTLEGROUND - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Context in Chaos, February 16, 2006

By 

Alias - See all my reviews

This review is from: BattleGround - 21 Days on the Empire's Edge (DVD)

The 2003 invasion of Iraq was hailed as the most openly accessible war in history. While embedded journalists traveled with U.S. and British troops on the back of Humvees into battle zones, news audiences received on the ground info in real time. The images and information captured by war journos was remarkable in their proximity to conflict but the context of the information was directly framed by what the Pentagon allowed journalists to cover. You either played by the rules and got access or you were left out in the cold.
Battleground, in contrast, is an exercise in capturing the context of the invasion from a truly independent, sober perspective. Opinions of American soldiers and commanders were presented alongside actual Iraqi voices. Montages of Iraqi street scenes link powerful narratives of homegrown debates on the merits of the invasion, the emotional homecoming of a former anti-Saddam rebel forced into exile, a citizen journalist informing people on the dangers of Depleted Uranium, and the inner-workings of American Military strategies for restructuring Iraqi society. This film captures what really happened on the ground in the aftermath of a massive military campaign- without government influence. The absence of framing and ideology is a breath of fresh air in the documentary genre.
The stories captured in this film are unique and immensely informative- all stemming from the micro level. There are no voice-overs staging the flow of information. The plot is recounted by real people who find themselves in Iraq at the beginning of a new history. "Battleground" never attempts to re-write Iraq's past nor does it predict its future. Instead, the filmmakers offer the audience a lucid depiction of context- a crucial processes that was entirely absent from news coverage of the invasion.
Battleground is a must-see for anyone craving a balanced on-the-ground depiction of what really happened in Iraq in 2003. Rich in visual energy and powerful music, Battleground is not over-stylized. It is however, immensely informative, beautifully spontaneous, and an extraordinary example of bearing witness to world events and placing them in context.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Documentary, January 16, 2006

By 

Pearse O'Sullivan (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BattleGround - 21 Days on the Empire's Edge (DVD)

If you're interested in learning more about Iraq but don't know where to turn to (between Fox and CNN) than this is the documentary for you.

This is the type of documentary you'll probably watch two or three times and recommend a hundred times. I look forward to more docs from director Stephen Marshall.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Film!, February 23, 2006

By 

B. Semlak - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BattleGround - 21 Days on the Empire's Edge (DVD)

This film gives good insight on the feelings of the Iraqi nationals about the war there and the American soldiers that are there.