16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Needs to be seen by every American citizen, May 8, 2005
This review is from: Soldiers Pay (DVD)
Filmmakers Tricia Regan, David O. Russell and Juan Carlos Zaldivar originally created "Soldiers Pay" for the anniversary DVD re-release of "Three Kings." Unfortunately, Russell was quoted in the press at some point in 2004 saying that he hoped his new short documentary, which would be included on the new DVD, would convince people to vote against Bush. The studios caught wind of this and killed the project, but allowed Russell to take his short film with him so that he could still release it to the public.
"Soldiers Pay" is mostly talking heads. This isn't a Michael Moore ambush film. The people who Russell speaks with are the ones who count - soldiers who served in Iraq and know what they're talking about. These are the men whose stories have been ignored - by the media and by most Americans, especially those screaming the loudest about supposedly "supporting the troops."
Unfortunately for all Americans, especially our proud soldiers in uniform, Russell's short was released well after the election and to very little fanfare.
Despite potential charges from misguided and uneducated Bush supporters, this documentary is absolutely and positively pro-soldier. The very title speaks for itself - "Soldiers Pay." Pay they do - their time, their lives, their souls, their sanity. And they do it for chicken feed.
All of these issues are raised in the film. Russell speaks with veterans who have PTSD. He speaks with those who lacked body armor and weapons - when Halliburton and other contractor employees had the best on the market! And he speaks with soldiers who broke the rules, who stole money. But his focus always comes back on target - the know-nothings who sent those soldiers into harms way in the first place. Sure, some soldiers stole from Iraqi civilians, but they usually did it because they were desperate or were ordered to do so.
In the end, as Russell slams his point home, when the you-know-what hits the fan, the lower enlisted pay the price. Prisoner abuse, theft, deaths (American or Iraqi) whatever, the brass all the way to the White House get off without a speck of dust on their suits.
"Soldiers Pay" says it all.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
our troops deserve better, May 12, 2008
This review is from: Soldiers Pay (DVD)
this film was made four years ago now, and since then there have been a number of excellent films that feature primarily interviews and footage of our soldiers expressing themselves and at war. for me, these are always the best documentaries about the war, because the opinions and views of the men and women actually doing the job are the most valuable to those of us curious about the war our nation is involved in. this film is short at 35 minutes and films such as 'no end in sight' and 'gunner palace' have more current footage and interviews. but, for me, this film is excellent due to the fact that it is simply a series of interviews with mostly soldiers who have returned from iraq, just sharing their experiences and present situations. there are a few reporters and a few iraqi-americans who are interviewed, along with a lone republican congressman whose pro-administration views are provided for contrast.
if you want a comprehensive overview of our failures in iraq, buy 'no end in sight.' but, if, like me, you feel grateful to those who serve so that you do not have to and feel obliged to get as much exposure to their brave lives as possible, buy this film.
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2 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
"Soldiers' Pay" is Nothing But Talking Heads: Read a Good Book Instead, March 6, 2006
This review is from: Soldiers Pay (DVD)
Despite the fact that the DVD box shows imagery of soldiers in Iraq, this documentary consists almost entirely of talking heads, filmed in living rooms and on streets in the U.S. The heads are talking about the war, and they all give pretty much the same information you could hear from anyone else who reads a newspaper, or knows someone who's been over there, or who reads more than a few current-events blogs. The speakers are not particularly articulate (except for one ex-Marine officer), and -- really -- any random Joe sitting around a coffee shop could deliver a more convincing and tightly argued anti-war polemic. This DVD is all talk, talk, talk. I would suggest you read one of the many good books that have been written about the war, pro and con. I mean, if all you want is words.
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