Battle for Haditha (2007)

An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb.

Director:

Nick Broomfield

Writers:

Nick Broomfield, Marc Hoeferlin,

Stars:

Matthew Knoll, Elliot Ruiz, Eric Mehalacopoulos

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Knoll	...	Cpl. Matthews (as Matthew R. Knoll)
Elliot Ruiz	...	Cpl. Ramirez
Eric Mehalacopoulos	...	Sgt. Ross
Nathan De La Cruz	...	Cpl. Marcus
Andrew McLaren	...	Capt. Sampson
Jase Willette	...	Pfc. Cuthbert
Thomas Hennessy	...	Doc (as Thomas Hennessy Jr.)
Tony Spencer	...	Pfc. Roberts
Vernon Gaines	...	Lance Corporal Sosa
Antonio Tostado	...	Lance Corporal Jimenez
Ali Adil Disher	...	Iraqi Translator (as Ali Adil Aj-kaa)
Yasmine Hanani	...	Hiba
Siham Rashid	...	Asma
Majd Hijjawi	...	Woman shot in street
Falah Abraheem Flayeh	...	Ahmad (as Falah Flayeh)

Storyline

In November 2005, US Marines fell into an ambush by Iraqi insurgents and one officer got killed. The reprisals by the the Americans were frightening, resulting in the massacre of 24 people, many of whom women and children. "Battle for Haditha" is the faithful account of this tragic event which scandalized the world.

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Plot Keywords:

marine | roadside bomb | attack | house to house search | circumcision | 

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Taglines:

There are many ways to see the same story

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for war violence, disturbing images, and for pervasive language

Details

Official Sites:

Surreal [fr]

Country:

UK

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

7 May 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Batalha Por Haditha

Filming Locations:

Jerash, Jordan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$2,181 (USA) (9 May 2008)

Gross:

$7,098 (USA) (16 May 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Film4, HanWay Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was shot in an unconventional way whereas instead of a detailed script, there was only an outline of each scene and where the story was going. Actors would then improvise much of the dialogue based on director Nick Broomfield's instructions.

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Goofs

Some of the U.S. Marines in the film are seen with Colt Model 727 carbines, although that weapon had long been fully replaced by the M4A1 by the time the film took place (late 2005).

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Connections

References Dai si gin (2004)

User Reviews

amazing, powerful movie

People who live in denial and believe in the fairy tale of US troops bringing "freedom" to backward Iraqis will hate this movie. But what makes this movie particularly valuable, moving, and powerful is that it humanizes all the participants in the war: US troops, insurgents, and civilians caught up in the crossfire. The director made a genuine effort to show the horrors of war without presenting a simplistic black vs. white, "us" vs "them", opposition. All the protagonists are ordinary people, people who may do horrible things, but people in the end. The insurgents who planted the IED feel remorse at what hey did, and the Marines who killed civilians are also haunted by what they did. And both are ultimately manipulated by their superiors, who really don't care about the suffering on the ground. And the message of the movie is also clear: the root of all this horror is an invasion that should not have happened in the first place.