Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience (2007)

Director:

Richard Robbins

Writers:

Colby Buzzell (story)
Edward Parker Gyokeres (story)

Release Date:

9 February 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A unique documentary about troops' experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, based on writings by soldiers...

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Sharon D. Allen	...	Herself
Beau Bridges	...	Voice 'Aftermath'
Colby Buzzell	...	Himself / Writer
Richard Currey	...	Himself
Robert Duvall	...	Taking Chance (voice)
Aaron Eckhart	...	Road Work (voice)
Paul Fussell	...	Himself
Christopher Gorham	...	'Distant Thunder' (voice)
Edward Parker Gyokeres	...	Himself
Joe Haldeman	...	Himself
Sangjoon Han	...	Himself
Ed Hrivnak	...	Himself / Writer
Justin Kirk	...	Voice 'Men in Black, ' 'Aftermath' (voice)
Yusef Komunyakaa	...	Himself
John Krasinski	...	Camp Muckamungus (voice)
Jack Lewis	...	Himself
Josh Lucas	...	Medevac Missions (voice)
John McCary	...	Himself / Writer
Tim O'Brien	...	Himself
Tim O'Brien	...	Himself
Peter O'Meara	...	Jack lewis
Sam Sako	...	Qasim
James Salter	...	Himself
Michael Strobl	...	Himself
Anthony Swofford	...	Himself
Michael Thomas	...	Himself
Brian Turner	...	(voice)
Brian Turner	...	Himself (voice)
Blair Underwood	...	Voice 'To the Fallen' (voice)
Tobias Wolff	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Iraq

Company:

Documentary Group, The

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

a shattering experience

"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" is an Oscar-nominated documentary made up almost entirely of journal entries and poems written by soldiers and marines in combat. Operation Homecoming was a program developed by the National Endowment For the Arts in which distinguished authors were sent to military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to teach soldiers and their families how to capture their experiences of war on paper. Ultimately, thousands of pages worth of personal reflections, in the form of essays, anecdotes and poems, were submitted to the project, only a very small handful of which could, by necessity, find their way into this film.

If nothing else, "Operation Homecoming" serves as an invaluable tool documenting what life is like for the common fighting man toiling in the trenches of not only these two specific wars but of any armed conflict. Notably absent from the film are statements and speeches made by military strategists, politicians and world leaders whose views we hear expressed ad infinitum and ad nauseam throughout the course of any military action. In their place are the thoughts and words of the men and women on the front lines, who day after day confront the actual face of war.

Through their essays and poems, these authors convey, with tremendous eloquence and insight, just what it means to live in near-constant fear of being injured or killed; or to see one's friends and comrades fall under a hail of bullets or be blown to smithereens by a detonated explosive; or to wrestle with the guilt of having snuffed out a fellow human being's life despite the fact that you've been raised from infancy to believe killing is wrong. As have many authors before them (Stephen Crane in "The Red Badge of Courage" comes first to mind), some of these writers show how the heroic idealism of a pre-war mindset can be instantly shattered when confronted with the brutal reality of life on the battlefield. For some, the writing has become almost a form of therapy, allowing them to process the experience in the hopes of eventually coming to terms with it all - if that's even possible.

The movie provides battle footage, still photos, staged reenactments and animation sequences, along with interviews with the actual writers and other authors on the subject (i.e., Anthony Swofford, Tobias Wolff) to visually complement and supplement the readings, which are delivered respectfully and movingly by such trained actors as Robert Duvall, Beau Bridges and Aaron Eckhart.

But all is not pure, unrelieved grimness. There is also a bit of gallows humor in the writing, designed to alleviate not only the stress of combat but the long stretches of intense boredom that are also, paradoxically, a part of life in the field. Indeed, there is probably not a single aspect of combat life that is not touched upon at some point in this film. It's that comprehensive.

This movie takes the issue out of the realm of the abstract, clearing away all the jingoism and false bravado that often go into depictions of war. These are just real people telling us their real stories in their own words, and some of them are absolutely heartbreaking. Through its honesty and artistry, the film becomes a stirring tribute to each and every one of the fine young men and women who have risked their lives - and given their lives - in battle. No matter your personal feelings about these particular wars or of war in general, you won't look at any of it in quite the same way again after seeing "Operation Homecoming."

And if you find yourself weeping - which you inevitably will - through the course of the film, you can do so without shame.