Blog July 28, 2007
Last night I watched a documentary titled The War Tapes directed Deborah Scraton and produced by Robert May. This film was shot by Army soldiers in Iraq. Several men from the National Guard were given video cameras for their year in Iraq. The film flipped back and forth between the war zone and the States. What it did for me was put faces on the war and the landscape. More was said in the jokes and facial gestures then in the dialog. Several of the story lines were classic, young men needing to prove there worth; standing up for a cause they felt noble. Then the reality of death and fear set in and we get to watch how war hardens the human charter. We see the desire for these men wanting to initiating into manhood, and how becoming a hero seduces them into trauma and pain that will infect there souls for a life time. I recommend this film, you see more of the story in the actions and behaviors of these men then they tell you.
As a Vietnam vet the familiarly of the bravado, fear, and denial drew up a deep sadness in me. Where I believe the story holds its deepest truth is in the women that these men have left behind, the wife’s mothers. It was said several times by these women that their men had changed when they came home. We as viewers saw this as well.
2 comments:
Dear Larry,
I just finished your book and wanted to thank you and tell you how deeply it affected me. I am Dahlia's friend who lives in Africa and have sat in your living room several times enjoying the gang and their writing. So, I haven't been close to a war and was in college in Boston in 1969-73 watching the protests if not an actual participant.
And, your book caught me, showed me things I didn't know, helped me to understand something more about men and war and anger, grief and guilt. Dahl said it would be rough for me and it was but it was good for me. I thank you!
look forward to hearing, seeing, learning more.
Judy Miller
Judy,
Thank you so much for your comments about my book. It is important to me that women read this book they are often the ones who suffer in silence having to watch loved ones who suffer from war pains that they can not understand. If you don't mind I would like to post your comments on my website? I hope to see you again, you are welcome in our living room.
Be Well
Larry
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