Documentary Review Restrepo

Restrepo (2010) 

Directed by Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger 

Written by Documentary 

Starring Members of the U.S Military 

Release Date June 25th, 2010 

Having been at war in Afghanistan for more than 8 years now it is no surprise that most Americans have begun to take the danger for granted. Nearly 8 years of politicians using the war as a cudgel against their political opponents and 8 years of news pundits spinning the war as a policy debate, it makes sense that many have grown jaded and have lost perspective.

"Restrepo" is a documentary that wrenches our perspective back to the matters at hand, the men who are on the front line fighting for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people as they attempt to survive and kill the enemy. Embedded with troops in the place that has been called the 'Deadliest place in the world' the Korangel Valley, journalists Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington bring devastating clarity to what is at stake in Afghanistan.

PFC Juan S. Restrepo was a Platoon Medic with Second Platoon B Company, 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry Regiment. He was also a 20 something kid who with a big easy smile, a gregarious manner and a love for playing flamenco guitar. Early in the deployment of Second Platoon B Company, PFC Restrepo was shot and killed by members of the Taliban.

In his name the remaining members of B Company name their newest camp OP Restrepo. This outpost is remarkable for its dangerous position. It is high on a mountainside that had been crawling with members of the Taliban. It remains surrounded on all sides by potential members of the Taliban, those hiding among the citizens of the small villages in the Korangal Valley, and of course the real Taliban who may be no more than 100 yards away and sometimes closer.

Inside OP Restrepo we meet a remarkable and diverse group of our best and bravest. The standout is the leader Captain Dan Kearney whose determination to tame one of the most dangerous places in the world at first seems naive and then seems almost manageable through the sheer force of his professionalism.

Captain Kearney's assignment is to win the hearts and minds of the locals while creating a safe passage for workers building roads through the valley that will connect supply lines and bring some life and economy to these villages. The locals have heard these promises before but never I'm sure with conviction and strength. Kearney is the essence of tough but fair, unwilling to bend to the locals but never dismissive or disrespectful. The mission comes first with Kearney that means protecting his men and winning hearts and minds regardless of the dire circumstance or the seeming futility of effort. His professionalism is an example of the best we have to offer in our military.

The faces of the soldiers of Company B can tend to run together what with the buzzcuts and military garb but their personal stories when interviewed after the events of their 15-month deployment stand out in striking and heart-rending fashion. The stories they tell are stories of remarkable danger, pulse pounding, heat of the moment accounts that must be heard.

Heard they are but as filmed by Junger and Hetherington, they are seen as well in stunning, violent detail. Bullets sail over the heads of the soldiers, strike just at their feet and send the Journalists scurrying to the ground in search of cover. Most harrowing is the story and film of Operation Rock Avalanche during which B Company heads deep into the Korangal and come face to face with the enemy. Captain Kearney recalls in one interview members of the Taliban getting so close to his men that they could physically assault them and steal their supplies in the night. This is the war they never tell you about on the news.

Our complacency is shattered by Restrepo a trip deep inside of war like nothing you have ever seen on film. Years and years of operations in Afghanistan have passed and our culture has grown more and more weary and distant from the real dangers. Restrepo is a necessary film, required viewing as a reminder of the true, human cost of war.

Politicians argue policy and score cheap political points on Afghanistan on an almost daily basis and that is on both sides. What "Restrepo" does is remind us that when we go to war we had better know what we are fighting for, why we are fighting and never forget what the brave, brilliant soldiers who with their professionalism, valor and ungodly talents will have to sacrifice to achieve our goals.