film review: Dirty Wars

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The backstory: Dirty Wars is one of the five films nominated for the Best Documentary Academy Award this year.

 The basics: Jeremy Scahill, a foreign correspondent for The Nation, investigates the unseen wars the U.S. is fighting.

 My thoughts: Jeremy Scahill, best known for exposing Blackwater, sets his sights on uncovering the stories behind the NATO reports. He's first drawn to Gardez, Afghanistan, where civilians and an Afghan police chief trained by the U.S. are killed. Throughout the film, Scahill manages to get impressive access to both government officials and locals in the war zones.

The film isn't necessarily a marvel of visual filmmaking, but it is a marvel of documentary film as an information resource. The emphasis here isn't style; it's relaying critical information. By taking the viewer along on Scahill's journey, this film watches like an unfolding mystery. Although Scahill didn't know how this story (or stories) was end, I'm thankful he was smart enough to document his journey and share it.

 The verdict: Dirty Wars is an important investigative film. Jeremy Scahill is a brave, determined journalist, and this film exemplifies his dedication. I highly recommended this film to all--Scahill exposes things we, as citizens of the world, need to be aware of.

 Rating: 5 out of 5
Length: 87 minutes
Availability: Netflix

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy or rent Dirty Wars from Amazon.

Want more? Visit the film's website and follow Jeremy Scahill on Twitter.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. The Relentless ReaderJanuary 30, 2014 at 3:38 PM

    I adore documentary films like crazy! I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for this one!

    ReplyDelete

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