THE INVISIBLE WAR
You know Kirby Dick from the documentary “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”, but he was once nominated for Best Documentary Feature for his film “Twist Of Faith” in 2005, about a man who confronts the Catholic church regarding his childhood abuse. Needless to say, “Born Into Brothels” won that year (“Super Size Me” was that year as well), which left Dick without the award, but this year he returns with an insightful documentary about rape in the U.S. military with his film “The Invisible War”.
Some facts to keep in mind while deciding on the documentary winner this year: “The Invisible War” is at a 100% on the ratings website Rotten Tomatoes. Taken with a grain of salt, this fact is made stronger by the website naming it the #1 film of the year. The film has taken home the Audience Award at all of the festivals it has premiered at, including Sundance. And the film has reached a high level of acclaim, even causing action in the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Although, for me, the rest of the documentaries must be viewed before I name my pick, this one is definitely landing at the top for the moment.
REVIEW
A straight-forward documentary, “The Invisible War” combines interviews with Congressional footage and stock footage to produce an average, albeit important look at the emotional and physical trauma produced by rape in our Armed Forces and the almost zero response from diplomatic and higher end officials in the military. Delivering a wealth of knowledge on the subject through testimonials and title cards, there is really no innovation to the documentary through this film, aiming to solely educate rather than entertain, which works, but does this film little favor in reaching a wider audience.
// Produced by Amy Ziering & Tanner King Barklow // Directed by Kirby Dick //
// Dated Viewed: Sunday, January 13th, 2013 // NETFLIX // 32 films – 43 days //
