"Redacted" by Brian De Palma, about G.I.'s rape & murder of 14 yr. old Iraqi girl & family.

[Philosoraptor]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/31/wvenice131.xml

EIGHT new American films on Iraq due out soon.

---------------------------------

They are impatient with the war's progress, distrustful of all Iraqis (even the children) and eager to go home. Two of them concoct a plot for the group to revisit a household recently raided in a search for insurgents, and to rape the family's 15-year-old daughter. In a chilling finale they do the deed, but their mission also ends in multiple murder.

Intriguingly, one of the group (who harbours ambitions to go to film school) is compiling a video diary of life at the checkpoint. He takes his camera along on the raid and simply keeps shooting during the terrible events. Only later does he realize that this implicated him in the crimes.

To tell the story, de Palma boldly uses a variety of forms: blogs, YouTube posts, videologs on the internet and the video diary the soldier is shooting. There are several references to the shortcomings of the mainstream media in reporting the real horrors of the Iraq war; de Palma makes a telling point with these alternative narrative devices.

Whatever the truth of those claims, there's no doubt Redacted packs an extraordinary emotional punch. It ends with shocking still photos of Iraqis, dead, disfigured or in extreme distress because of the war. This montage left the audience at a Venice press screening stunned, silent and in a few cases tearful. The combination of De Palma's visceral style and the horrifying subject matter left me reeling.

[90-percent]

1. damn!

If Brian released this only three months ago we could have our
"feel good movie of the summer"!

Oh, the missed opportunities!

-85% jimmy

[Philosoraptor]

2. Can't go up against 'Pirates' or 'Balls of Fury'.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Haditha witness alleges squad leader planned to kill

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/31/news/top_stories/22_15_158_30_07.txt

Haditha witness alleges squad leader planned to kill

By: MARK WALKER --- Staff Writer

CAMP PENDLETON ---- One week before 24 civilians were slain by members of a Marine platoon in the Iraqi city of Haditha, the squad leader allegedly said his men should kill everyone in the area if they were attacked by a roadside bomb, a government witness alleged Friday.

Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz made the accusation Friday morning during the second day of a hearing that will determine if the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, will face trial on 17 murder charges.

Dela Cruz said Wuterich's comment came during a conversation with him and another Marine after they learned a couple of its platoon members had been injured in a bombing one week prior to the Haditha civilian killings on Nov. 19, 2005.


"We found they had got hit and everyone was pretty upset about that," Dela Cruz said while being questioned by the lead prosecutor, Lt. Col. Sean Sullivan. "Sgt. Wuterich made the comment that if we ever get his again, we should kill everybody in that vicinity."

One week later, Wuterich was leading his squad on a resupply mission in Haditha when a roadside bomb destroyed a Humvee, killing a lance corporal and triggering the civilian killings.

[leftchick]

4. I wonder if it will be distributed in the US

???

[Critters2]

5. Our local theatre won't show this, that's for sure. nt