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Gunner Palace By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "For y'all, this is just a show, but we live in this movie." So a young soldier in Baghdad, Irag, pretty much sums up the message of "Gunner Palace" (Palm), a raw and unfocused but affecting anti-war documentary chronicling the daily lives, fears and frustrations of young men and women serving in a U.S. army unit known as the "Gunners" and stationed in a volatile area of Iraq (several of them are killed during the making of the film). Directed by the married filmmaking team of Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein -- from footage Tucker spent two months collecting while embedded with the troops -- the movie offers viewers a glimpse into the soldiers' stress-filled existence: traveling with them on hazardous night patrols and on raids of houses of suspected insurgents, as well as relaxing at the bombed-out former palace of Uday Hussein now converted into barracks -- complete with swimming pool and putting green -- from which the film derives its title. Throughout the film, the baby-faced soldiers speak candidly about the war, some through impassioned -- and often expletive-laced -- free-style rap. One GI bitterly opines, "I don't think anywhere in history has somebody killed somebody else and something better has come of it." Another worries that Americans view the war as just another reality TV show and will forget him after watching this film. And though the inclusion of voices who feel that their presence is making a positive difference would have provided more balance, "Gunner Palace" remains (for the most part) apolitical. Shot in no-frills verite style and told entirely from the soldiers' perspective in their own uncensored words, the documentary is by turns sobering and surreal, resulting in snapshots of combat drudgery which add up to a war-is-hell message that will resonate with viewers whatever their political stripes. The film's suitability for older adolescents should be left to the discretion of parents, some of whom may feel that its timely subject matter outweighs concerns about its rough language content. The film contains much strong language and recurring images of wartime violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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