DOCUMENTARIAN GOES TO WAR WITH `GROUND TRUTH'.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic What does it mean to ``support our troops''? According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the veterans of the Iraq War Iraq War: see under Persian Gulf Wars. Iraq War or Second Persian Gulf War Brief conflict in 2003 between Iraq and a combined force of troops largely from the U.S. and Great Britain; and a subsequent U.S. interviewed in Patricia Foulkrod's unsettling un·set·tle v. un·set·tled, un·set·tling, un·set·tles v.tr. 1. To displace from a settled condition; disrupt. 2. To make uneasy; disturb. v.intr. documentary ``The Ground Truth,'' the answer would be ``get them home.'' Foulkrod's film is a wide-ranging and admittedly one-sided portrait of the battles today's American soldiers are waging abroad and inside their own psyches. We don't hear from any returning veterans happy to have served or enthusiastic about America's presence in Iraq. Instead, we meet a host of vets as they're recruited, indoctrinated, sent to fight and brought home to deal with personal demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. , physical infirmities and bureaucratic red tape. ``Just the other day, a guy asked me how I lost my arm,'' recalls Robert Acosta, a Santa Ana resident who joined the Army in 2003. ``I told him I lost it in the war. He said, `What war?' I said, `The war in Iraq.' He said, `Is that still going on?' I said, `Yeah, dude, it's still going on.' '' Acosta's story is one of many told in ``The Ground Truth'' underscoring public apathy and ignorance as well as governmental indifference. Soldier after soldier recounts nightmarish memories of killing innocents, including children. ``If someone gets in front of the truck, you run them over,'' one vet says of his orders. Says another: ``We did something horrible over there. But you're not supposed to have those feelings.'' Foulkrod aims to show the through line from an indoctrination in·doc·tri·nate tr.v. in·doc·tri·nat·ed, in·doc·tri·nat·ing, in·doc·tri·nates 1. To instruct in a body of doctrine or principles. 2. that teaches racism and killing - even after ``Full Metal Jacket Noun 1. full metal jacket - a lead bullet that is covered with a jacket of a harder metal (usually copper) bullet, slug - a projectile that is fired from a gun ,'' the basic training footage here is chilling - to a Defense Department abandonment once the veteran's time is up. The message: These men and women are cogs These are all the Cogs found in Disney's Toontown Online. Names that are moved forward are leaders of the HQ of that specific Cog type. Bossbots
Foulkrod's fragmentary assemblage of her footage doesn't always make for good storytelling, but there's no denying the emotional power of these vets' words or the uncensored combat war footage culled from Iraq. Is ``The Ground Truth'' the full story? No. But it's an essential piece of the narrative, and there's little doubt that the voices of these objectors will only grow louder over the coming months and years. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672. glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com THE GROUND TRUTH - Three stars (R: disturbing violent content, language.) Director: Patricia Foulkrod. Running time: 1 hr. 18 min. Playing: Landmark's Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles
In a nutshell: Iraq vets give their recommendations for supporting the troops in this unsettling documentary. |
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