Battle for Haditha

The film does not have a certain illustrativeness in its script, individual characters, and dialogues to familiarize the viewer with the situation in Iraq and the causes of failures that the occupation forces have been struggling with for a long time. They are actually of the same kind as those dealt with in the case of low-intensity wars before them, for example, the Soviets in Afghanistan or later followed by the Americans. The best-equipped and numerically strong army can do nothing against an adversary who is scattered among the civilian population, attacks from ambushes, and can gain the loyalty of the local population through personal sympathies or intimidation. This is a semi-documentary film based on real events, and perhaps that's why it seems much more realistic and fundamentally more important for understanding Middle Eastern themes than the Oscar-winning drama The Hurt Locker. It is not a flashy genre film that tries to lure the viewer with cheap emotions and fast action, but rather a naturalistic and quite unpleasant drama about how different war looks from the comfort of a government office chair or a comfortable sofa while watching television, compared to reality where everyday stress, constant uncertainty, separation from family, and a hostile environment will eventually take its toll on you. The film interested me more than the thematically related film Redacted by Brian de Palma, and although the artistic form somewhat lags behind the content, I will allow myself to add a little bit on this time...Overall impression: 90%. (17/06/2012)